Love Thy Neighbor
by Narfy
Summary: Final chapter up! Homer passes away from cancer, leaving Marge and the kids to grieve. Marge is so distraught that she goes to Ned Flanders for advice, after a while she begins to spend time with him, causing the kids to think that she has a new love.
1. Saying Goodbye

A/N: Hello there to all you readers out there. This was just an idea that came to me one day and I thought I should give it a try. I'm a little nervous about this one, mainly because there are a lot of people out there who flat out don't like stories like this, especially ones involving a favorite character dying. So please if you don't want to read this then don't read. And if you do read it and leave a negative review, please do so kindly. If this story does not work out well, I will take it down. Other than that please enjoy, I plan on making it about fifteen chapters.

Also I would like to thank Bdlywrttn for suggesting the name of the story and for reading over this first chapter. You rule!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Simpsons.

**Edit**: If you have read this chapter before, you will probably notice some differences, that's because I fixed a few things. If you haven't then enjoy. If you want the original just ask, I still have it on file.

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Marge Simpson paced back and forth along the hall of the hospitals cancer wing, while her children sat silently next to aunts Patty and Selma. All were too afraid to speak and all were hoping and praying that Homer would be saved.

It was the fifth time in three months since Homer was sent to the hospital, his health was deteriorating rapidly and no one knew how much longer he could take the pain. He hadn't been himself for almost two years now and it was all thanks to working at the nuclear power plant.

It was an explosion that caused it, and surprisingly it was not Homer's fault. Many employees got out safely but as many as one hundred of those employees were not so lucky and were overexposed to the dangerous chemicals that the explosion had caused. Twenty of those employees lost their lives in only a few weeks, while others, like Homer, were soon given the worst diagnoses possible. Cancer. For many it would only be a year before the cancer took hold of them. While for some, they would be lucky if they even reached past five years. Homer had been given a year but so far he had beaten the odds by an extra year, but another year seemed very unlikely.

Because of what happened, the case was sent to court and Mr. Burns was blamed for causing the meltdown thanks to many health violations. It was a quick court case too, many believed that the plant was never safe to begin with and after only a year of legal battles, the court found Burns guilty. He and other owners of the plant would have to help pay all medical expenses for the cancer patients and if the person died, then he would have to give the grieving families, if they had one, as much as five hundred thousand dollars. Of course this would mean that by the time Burns retired, if that was ever possible, he would be flat broke. But no one cared about that happening, Burns deserved it and to many he could rot in hell.

But money was something Marge did not care for at the moment, all she cared about was Homer, and the hope that the cancer would disappear somehow. She did not care how; she just wanted her husband back.

It was hard for the kids to cope with too; they rarely saw their father out much. Poor Maggie, who was now three, barely even knew him now because of it, and Marge worried that she would grow up never knowing who her father was.

Marge let the tears fall down her face as she walked down the hall, she had been through so much with him and now only a miracle could save Homer from what he was going through. Marge just wanted to turn back time, make Homer not go to work that day. Then he would not be dying, instead they would be sitting on the couch watching a wonderful movie about love and happiness.

"Mrs. Simpson," Dr. Hibbert's voice called out to her.

Marge turned around and saw Dr. Hibbert walking toward her, she hoped it was good news like the last four times in which Dr. Hibbert said "He's gonna be okay for now, we'll start him on stronger treatments and hopefully we won't see you again too soon."

But Marge could sense that this response was going to be different, his face was very tired looking and his head was hung low. "What is the news?" she asked her voice hoarse from crying so much.

Dr. Hibbert sighed and turned to the kids who were listening intently. Quietly he moved Marge farther down the hall so as not to upset the kids. Not yet any way. He stopped a little ways off, enough to keep his voice down and hard of hearing. He looked at Marge for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh.

"It's bleak Mrs. Simpson, we tried all we could but his body just wants to shut down, …I'm afraid he won't last the night," he finally said.

Marge stared into Dr. Hibbert's eyes, hoping it was only a joke that he sometimes did just for the fun of it, but this time only seriousness remained and before Marge knew it she was clutching Dr. Hibbert's coat and crying her heart out.

"I'm so sorry Mrs. Simpson, you've been through so much and watching you all lose the battle makes me wish I could make a difference," said Dr. Hibbert who seemed to be getting all misty eyed himself.

Marge looked down the floor and let the tears flow for a moment before looking up at Dr. Hibbert with pitiful eyes.

"Will I still be able to see him?" she asked when she finally got the courage to speak.

"He is awake right now and was asking for you and the kids, though how long he will remain in the conscious state is unknown," said Dr. Hibbert as he patted Marge on the shoulder hoping to comfort her a little.

"Can I stay with him until he…," Marge stopped right there, she could not bring herself to saying the most horrific D word, let alone say it in front of the kids who had now wandered over to find out what was going on.

Dr. Hibbert stared at the kids; he really did not like it when kids were around during their parents' worst times. He had seen many children have problems after seeing their parents go into cardiac arrest or other terrible things. "You may, but I would suggest the children go home with someone else after they say goodbye, they have seen enough these past two years with him," said Dr. Hibbert.

Marge nodded and turned to her kids. Lisa stared at her mother for a moment before bursting into tears and hugged her brother tightly. Bart let his sister cry on his shoulder while he tried his hardest not to cry himself. Maggie only watched them still not sure what was going on.

"We tried our hardest kids, now it's time to let go, are you all okay with seeing him and then going home with Patty and Selma?" asked Marge as her sisters walked over. They had been with Marge that afternoon when they noticed that something was definitely not right with Homer. They called the hospital, who brought an ambulance right over. Patty and Selma knew that Marge was in no state to drive to the hospital so they kindly helped her and picked up the kids along the way.

It was the least they could do, after all, they had given Homer hell for many years, and seeing their brother-in-law in such a state made them feel terrible. They wanted to say sorry to him and they knew the best way to do so was to help save his life and bring Marge to see him.

"That's okay with me, I want to see my Dad alive one last time, not…dead," said Lisa, her voice almost sounding like Marge from all the crying she had done.

"Me too," said Bart with a heavy sigh. He had been the bravest throughout all of this and he kept his emotions tight. When he did cry though it was usually by himself in his room thinking about what might happen and if he would be able to play ball with his dad again in the backyard. Now the chances of that were very slim.

"I want to see Daddy," said Maggie as she asked Marge to pick her up.

"And you will, we just need to make sure your aunts are okay with this," said Marge as she looked at her sisters hoping they would not mind helping once again.

"Yeah the kids don't need to see their father slowly melt away, we'll keep them until you get back," said Patty.

"I also know a way to keep the kids from thinking about their father while we are together too," said Selma.

"Thank you so much, I'm glad I have you two around," said Marge as she hugged her sisters tightly.

Finally once the decision was made, Dr. Hibbert led the family into the room. Patty and Selma decided to stay outside knowing that it was the families last time together and they did not want to impose.

They entered to find a nurse still in the room, she was just finishing her job of helping Homer spend his last few hours in comfort by adding enough fluids to the IVs and making the pillows soft enough. She quickly exited before the family came closer.

The family was not surprised by what they saw of Homer, he had been in his state for more than a year now. Because of the cancer, he did not eat as much and was very thin now, so thin in fact that according to the records he had lost almost seventy-five pounds. His face had sunken in making his cheekbones protrude out a bit more, and his eyes were dark from exhaustion even though he had been put on bed rest. One arm had two IV's sticking in him, and there was an oxygen tube inserted into his nostrils to help him breathe easier. In fact he had been using an oxygen tank for the past five months, helping him breathe and move about without too much trouble. He also had heart monitors attached to his chest letting everyone know that his heart rate was slowing down.

Marge grabbed a chair in the corner and pulled it up next to Homer, his eyes were closed and he had not stirred when they entered. Carefully she held his hand and put it up next to her face, while the tears fell down freely. After a few moments, Homer opened his eyes and slowly turned to Marge, he looked at her for a few seconds before giving her a weak smile.

"Hi Honey," he said his voice low and weak.

"We're here for you Homie," Marge said sadly.

"The kids too?" Homer asked as he tried to lift up his head to see them.

"The kids too," said Marge as she motioned Bart, Lisa and Maggie closer to their father.

Bart was first to make his way over, even though they had many close calls before, he was still very nervous about approaching his father. He felt terrible for him ever since they found out he was diagnosed, but he did not know things could get any worse until these last five month. From sudden complications, respiratory infections that included a very bad case of Pneumonia two weeks ago, and near death experiences, it was very frightening. As he got closer, he could hear his father's labored breathing, and many times before when he visited his father in the hospital he knew things would be alright. This time though, he knew things would not turn out that way.

"Hey son," said Homer quietly.

"Hey Dad," said Bart.

"Dad! I love it when you say that… it makes me feel good… so much better than you calling me by my first name," said Homer.

"I know, I'm just trying to make things sound okay," said Bart with a sigh, he tried to be strong through all this and it was rare to see him cry. He was holding it in the best he could at the moment, he wanted to show his father he could handle this.

Homer noticed this and was about to respond when he went into a heavy coughing fit. Marge jumped up and helped him sit up so he would not choke to death. Once his throat cleared, Marge helped him settle back down on the pillow. Homer closed his eyes and gave a deep sigh that rattled his lungs. Bart watched him for a moment, but he did not say anything.

"Dad?" Bart called worriedly; afraid Homer would die right in front of him.

Homer did not respond right away, his eyes stayed closed for a little while longer before he slowly opened them again and stared at his son in the eye.

"You know you have to be the man of the house now right?" asked Homer.

Bart stared at his father; he hated conversations like this because he knew he would shed a few tears. He wanted to talk about the good times he had with his father, like catching baseballs, fixing the statue of Jebidiah Springfield's head, and even joining the boy scouts and going on that fun rafting adventure. But his emotions finally got the better of him, and he tried not to show it by scrunching up his face, but they finally had to come out. Bart then burst into tears and rushed forward to hug his dad as tightly as he could without hurting him.

"…Oh Dad!' cried Bart through his father's hospital gown, "I don't want you to leave us."

"I know son, I don't want to either …but some things can't be stopped," said Homer who only put one arm around Bart, the other was still being held by Marge and he did not want to let go. He wanted to feel her warm hands until his final moments of life, that was all that mattered to him.

"Daddy looks sleepy," Maggie suddenly cried out. Bart turned to his little sister and gave her a sad smile, he was glad she didn't know what was going on, it was better that way.

"Yes Maggie, Daddy is not feeling well," Marge replied.

"Can Daddy hold me?" asked Maggie.

Marge looked at Homer who nodded; he had to hold his youngest daughter one last time. Marge set Maggie down at the edge of the bed and Homer looked into her sweet tiny eyes. Maggie only stared back, she knew that her father was sick but she had no idea why, Marge had only told her that her daddy wasn't feeling well and it was hard to get him to feel better. She had even seen him fall once and it was not a pleasant sight for her to witness and she believed that Homer was too fragile to touch except on the nose which she quickly did.

"Are you trying to steal my nose Maggie?" asked Homer.

"Boop!" was all she said as she touched it for a second time.

Homer smiled and did not motion for Marge to take her away; he wanted her with him for a little while longer. She was so young, and it was so depressing to think that she barely even knew her own father.

"You've grown up so fast Maggie, I wish I was there to watch you and play with you," said Homer.

"You can play with me, when we go back home we can have a tea party in bed with cookies and cake and everything!" exclaimed Maggie as she flailed her hands at the same time with excitement.

Homer looked back at her sadly, she really had no idea, but how do you explain death to a three year old? Their minds don't work like others do, to Maggie, Homer was just sick and it was taking a lot of medicine just to get him to feel better again. Homer let out a heavy and pained sigh before hugging Maggie tightly. As he did so, he could hear sobbing at the front of his bed. Homer looked over Maggie's shoulder and saw Lisa standing there looking down at the floor, tears flowing freely. He could tell she was trying her hardest to be brave but she had been through so much with him now everything felt hopeless.

"Come over here Lisa," Homer called.

Lisa looked up sadly before slowly making her way over to her father; tears were still falling freely as she looked at his sad shape. Usually when her father was sent to the hospital, she would bring her saxophone along to play something for him while he rested. But because of the circumstances this afternoon, Lisa did not have any time to grab what she needed. Lisa's playing had improved in the past two years and now she was already selected to be the highest chair in the upcoming school year. Homer had actually enjoyed hearing music from her, it didn't sound loud and annoying any more, but softer and filled with energy.

"Where's your saxophone?" asked Homer.

"I left it, I didn't have time to bring it," said Lisa.

"Awww, I would have loved to have heard a piece by you… one more time," said Homer as he slowly stroked Lisa's bangs out of her eyes.

"I know you would have Dad, I would have played Lover Lay Down by The Dave Matthews Band for you, I've gotten really good at that one," said Lisa wiping her eyes to keep the tears from falling so much.

"I would have liked that one," said Homer.

"I haven't perfected it yet though, maybe one day," said Lisa as she looked down at her shoes and played with her fingers. She really did not want to say goodbye, not now when there was still some growing up to do. Homer seemed to realize this and slowly, he lifted her chin up so they were eye to eye. Lisa stared back at her father and quickly let all the tears fall before hugging her father one last time like Bart did. Lisa was about to pull away but Homer had one more thing to say to her.

"You need to be brave Lisa, I know you can keep everyone in order even without me, you can do it Lisa. Don't ever give up," said Homer before going into another coughing fit. Again Marge helped him and she knew that Homer was using all his strength up just by talking to them. Bart and Lisa seemed to sense this as they both backed away.

"Should we go now, Mom?" asked Lisa once Homer stopped coughing.

"Yes kids, go find your aunts, I will call you before I come home," said Marge.

Lisa picked up Maggie and walked out the door while Bart looked back at his father one last time. Homer only smiled and gave him a short wave before closing his eyes to rest. Bart wiped a single tear off his face and followed his sister down the hallway. Marge watched them go before she heard Homer calling to her.

"Marge," he called softly.

"Yes Homer?" asked Marge as she jumped up, ready to help him if he needed anything.

"Where are they going?"

"Home, we thought it would be better that way,"

"But you're staying right?"

Marge looked down at Homer; he looked back at her with hopeful eyes, hoping they were what he wanted to hear. It was now starting to hit her too, the realization that he would be gone within hours, all the fighting and all the praying for him to survive was a total loss. There was nothing left to do but stay beside him. Just seeing him looking up at her like that with sadness in his eyes made Marge burst into tears.

"Of course, I'm staying with you to the very end," she sobbed.

Homer looked up at Marge and saw the tears in her eyes. He hated seeing her cry, of course she had done a lot of it lately and there was nothing he could do to stop it, only comfort her as much as he could even in his weakened and poor state.

"Don't cry for me Marge, I know it's hard… but try to stay strong," said Homer as he tried to wipe her tears away.

"But I feel so useless watching you die like this," said Marge.

"Don't feel that way, you are with me and that's all that matters …it helps ease the pain," said Homer as he let out another heavy and labored sigh that soon sent him on another coughing fit.

Marge knew that him talking like this was not making things any better. She knew he wanted to say goodbye to her properly but the more he was straining to talk to her, the more he was starting to cough, and his lungs were not as strong as they used to be.

"Then as long as I am here, you don't need to talk, just rest," said Marge.

"There'll be plenty of time for that later though," said Homer with a small chuckle.

Marge gave Homer a concerned smile. He sure knew how to make light of the situation when he wanted to, it was a good thing though at least he was trying to stay positive even though the outlook was bleak.

"I've always liked the way you stayed optimistic through things like this, you never wanted to give up. I'll miss that the most from you, it's going to be hard for a long time without you."

"But don't forget that clichéd line said in movies…books…songs…and whatever else has a good way to emphasize drama. I will always be with you…even when I am not around," said Homer.

At the sound of those words, Marge let the tears flow freely again, she could understand why the kids had to leave, it was so hard to see someone you love die right in front of you. There was no way you could help; you could only be there for them in their last hours, hoping and praying that something could change their outcome and that they would live to see the sun rise.

Homer did not say any more after that, he knew Marge was right about straining too much to talk. As long as she was beside him, or somewhere in the room, that was alright with him. Finally after about an hour, Homer fell asleep, Marge decided to get up and walk around in the room for a bit, mostly to wake up her arm after holding Homer's hand for so long. Sometimes she would stare out at the window, watching the rain fall outside. It covered the windows and little drops would flow down them as if someone else was crying for them.

The hours ticked by, and it was very early in the morning when Homer slipped into unconsciousness. His heart rate lowered and Marge could feel his grasp slowly slip from her hand, but Marge tried to ignore that as she still held his hand and waited for any sign to see if his heart rate would suddenly go up and he would awaken again so she could talk to him one more time.

Finally at three forty-three, Marge watched as his heart rate began to lower more rapidly. Marge still held his hand but knew he would barely notice as his unconscious body began to slip away into death. Finally at three fifty-two, Homer gave out one more heavy sigh before the heart monitor flat lined. Marge waited for a moment hoping to see one more sign of a heartbeat or even a twitch in his fingers. Nothing came, only the high pitched sound of the monitor letting everyone know that there was a dead heart.

Dr. Hibbert ran into the room and saw Marge staring at her husband before she leapt forward and held her husband in her arms, crying her heart out over the person she had loved since high school. Dr. Hibbert only watched as he began to cry himself, the nurses came in but he told them to wait a little longer to let Marge have her peace.

Homer Simpson, the man almost everyone knew in Springfield, had lost the battle with cancer and had now quietly passed away.


	2. Seeking Solace

Homer was buried five days after he died, and many of his friends and colleagues came to visit him. His father Abraham, Moe, Barney, Lenny, Carl, Patty, Selma, Marge's mother, Ned Flanders, Chief Wiggum, Dr. Hibbert, Seymour Skinner, Apu, and many others that Homer was acquainted with. Marge was very surprised that so many people attended, and they didn't even have enough chairs for everyone to sit down in.

Lisa read a lovely poem that she made up during the five days prior and didn't even cry until she finished her last sentence. Reverend Lovejoy delivered the sermon, and Bart had asked Groundskeeper Willie to play "Amazing Grace" with his bagpipes. It was a very nice funeral and everyone told Marge that she was very brave for all the things she had gone through. But even words could not help her feel better.

A month passed and Marge still found herself crying as she made breakfast and dinner. And every night she would cry herself to sleep. The kids didn't do well either, Lisa was usually hiding in her room, crying on her pillow or playing soft tunes with her saxophone. Bart was always quiet; usually he would just sit on the sofa watching TV or would go over to Millhouse's for a few hours. Even though he did hang out with friends, he still came home looking glum as if he was expecting Homer to welcome him and to only find Marge making dinner.

On the third week during that month the kids had to go back to school, Marge was grateful that the summer finally ended for the children, she believed that the kids needed some time away from home to learn and hopefully forget about their problems. She wished she could do that, but there really was no reason to go out. She had all the food she needed and she didn't need any new clothes, it was just her alone at home with Maggie who would play without any sadness. It really was sad to see her youngest daughter go through life without her father and Marge wondered when Maggie would understand what death was. One day she would but not now.

It was early in the afternoon one day a week after the kids first week of school when Marge sat alone at the table looking through old pictures of her and Homer. Maggie had just been settled down to take a nap so there was really nothing else to do. She had not put her hair up for almost two weeks now; it just didn't seem to matter anymore, she rarely went out for anything save for food, and putting her hair all the way up just seemed pointless. She looked down at the pictures, such happy memories of days gone by, ones that would never happen again. There were many great pictures of Homer just acting like himself but there was one that made Marge stop short and stare at it for a long time. It was a picture of Homer, sharing a beer with their neighbor Ned Flanders, a rare sight to behold. That was when she soon had an idea.

Ned had lost Maude a little over two years ago, she had always wondered how he had coped without her and knew that if someone could help her out in the situation that she was in, Ned could probably do it.

She knew that Maggie would be okay for about two hours so she snuck out of the house and walked over to Ned's. She hoped that Ned would be off today and have someone else taking care of the Leftorium; he usually did that two days out of the week.

She rang the doorbell and to her surprise, Ned answered the door. When he saw Marge he gave a small concerned frown.

"Hey Marge, I haven't seen you since Homer passed. Is everything okay?" asked Ned.

Marge stared at Ned and gave a heavy sigh before responding. "Is it alright if I ask you about Maude and how you got over her." asked Marge.

"Of course it is, what are neighbors for? Come on in and I will make you some tea and we can talk all about it," said Ned.

Marge followed Ned into his house and he motioned for her to sit down on his dining room table. Marge quickly did so and waited as Ned set up the water and put it on the stove to warm it up. Ned then came into the room and sat across from her ready to listen.

"I must say Marge that I do like your hair down," said Ned.

"Thanks, I just haven't felt like putting it up, I first started doing it when I first met Homer," said Marge.

"Aww I guess it is hard to do your normal routine when the one by your side does not even complement what you do," said Ned. Marge just sighed back at him not really in the mood to discuss her hair. "But you wanted to know about Maude right?"

"Yes, I just want to know how you learned to cope without her. It's like every day I feel so empty inside. I keep waiting for him to come through the front door with a big smile on his face telling me how he went bowling and scored a perfect game, or that he punched Mr. Burns in the face," said Marge with a heavy sigh to keep herself from shedding any tears

Ned gave a short chuckle at the last statement and went over to a nearby drawer. He quickly took a small photo album out and set it in front of Marge.

"These are my most cherished memories of Maude and I, go ahead and take a look," said Ned.

Marge opened the first page to find a lovely picture of Ned and Maude on their wedding day. Maude was putting a piece of cake into Ned's mouth and both had the biggest smiles on their faces. Marge turned the next page to find a picture of them together on the beach and just below that was a Bible verse:

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love" Ephesians 4:2.

Marge turned to another page and found a picture of when Rod was born; Ned had his thumb sticking up while Maude looked exhausted but extremely happy to finally have a child in their life. There was another Bible passage underneath that one was well.

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is the reward." Psalm 127:3.

Marge continued to turn the pages finding more pictures of Maude and Ned, they always looked so happy together and never sad, each picture on the bottom had a Bible verse to go with it and as Marge got farther along she began to shed tears, she knew what the last page was going have and even though it had been more than two years, she was not ready for it.

She reached the last page and there on that page was an obituary and a picture of the tombstone that had Maude's name on it and the day she was born and the day she died. Underneath the tombstone it read. "To a loving wife and mother, you will always be in our hearts." And of course just below that was another Bible verse

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Marge read the words out loud but could not finish it because her tears had fallen on the page and Marge did not want to ruin the special book Ned had made. Ned patted her hand and gave her a tissue before being summoned to the kitchen to get the tea.

"Would you like Raspberry tea or a special mint tea that helps the stomach when it's upset?" Ned asked in a soft and caring tone.

"The mint tea please," said Marge after she had blown her nose.

Ned soon returned with a small cup and a few special cookies next to it for Marge to enjoy. Marge quickly took a sip and then gave a heavy sigh as she felt the tea settling in her stomach. It really was a good tea for what was ailing her.

"This photo book was almost therapeutic, kind of like how John Grogan was when he wrote Marley and Me. Of course losing a spouse is not at all like losing a dog, your spouse can at least talk to you and tell you about your day. That's what I miss most about Maude," said Ned as he took a sip of tea.

"How long was it before you felt happiness again, I feel like I will never feel it especially when I look over at the other side of my bed and find it so empty and lonesome," said Marge.

"Well it was a few months, after a while you begin to tell yourself that crying is not going to change things and that you need to move on. You just got to remember the good times you had with him, sure they will make you cry when you think about it for a while but sooner or later they will be fun memories that you will never want to forget," said Ned.

Marge blew her nose again and took another tissue to wipe the tears that were falling like a dripping faucet, it was hard to see what Ned was talking about now, but sooner or later she hoped that what Ned was saying was the truth. She loved Homer but she didn't want to feel sorry for herself all the time.

"Another way of helping you get over it is to talk about it, begin with how it all started and then work your way to the day he passed on. Sure it's painful to think about but when you do tell it, you have someone there listening, ready to hug you and tell you it's alright," said Ned.

"You actually want me to tell you when we found out?" asked Marge as she blew her nose again, by now there were at least six tissues on the table top, more would be coming soon.

"If it's alright with you, if you don't want to do it right away that's fine. But I am always ready to listen and help you through it if you need me to," said Ned.

Marge stared down at her tea cup for a moment. Would she be able to tell him all about it or would her emotions get to her? It was probably best to try now rather than later. If she wanted to, she would stop eventually and Ned would understand.

"So you don't mind?" asked Marge, she really didn't want to put Ned up to this but he did seem determined.

"Well you did come to me, and I know it's God's way of saying that you need all the help you can get. So go ahead and tell me, stop whenever you feel like it," said Ned, his eyes showing his calm features.

Marge then gave a heavy sigh and quickly wiped the tears away ready to talk about it and hopefully without crying more than she had. Then she began.

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A/N: Sorry I know it was short, but the next chapter is a bit longer so yeah that's my reason. I would like to thank all you wonderful reviewers out there; I wasn't expecting responses like that especially making you all cry. Don't worry I don't think my other chapters will be as sad as that one but you never know, or I may never know any way. And if Ned's verbal usage was wrong I apologize, I've seen him millions of times yet I don't know when it's the right time to say diddly. Well please review and I will have the next chapter up when I feel that it should be up.


	3. How it all happened

A/N: In case you all are wondering why the chapter is not written in first person I have a good reason. Four years ago I did a story in first person, forty-one chapters and it still gives me a headache just thinking about it. So I did not want to even try. I put a few things in italics just so it won't get too confusing at some points.

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"_I remember that day when that section of the nuclear plant had blown up, it was a sunny day, no rain in the forecast for a few weeks and the kids were in school," began Marge._

_Ned listened intently never taking his eyes off Marge as she began her story, he could not believe she was being so brave now and was glad she came out of the house just to talk to him._

"We interrupt our program to bring you this special report," Kent Brockman suddenly said on the television while Marge was doing laundry.

At first Marge was not concerned, Kent was known to do this from time to time and usually it was about a really bad accident or some good news about a local robber who was finally caught. She gave a quick murmur of annoyance and tried to zone it out.

"An explosion has been reported at the Springfield Nuclear Power plant," Kent said with dramatic effect.

At the mention of Homer's work, Marge quickly stopped what she was doing and stared at the television screen hoping to hear that it was nothing too bad.

"So far we are getting reports from C. Montgomery Burns that it was in only one section of the power plant and that the city will not be affected. We now go live to the power plant with Scott Christian, Scott, is everyone alright in there?" asked Kent as he turned on a new screen that showed Scott Christian standing in front of the power plant with Mr. Burns standing beside him and looking quite angry at what had just happened.

"Kent it seems that there were about one hundred employees working in the area of the explosion at the time, no one is sure how it happened though, Montgomery Burns here believes that a generator became jammed and exploded. Mr. Burns is the rest of the plant safe and is everyone out?" Scott Christian asked as he turned to Mr. Burns.

"Well we have shut down the plant for now, but only about half who were in Sector 7G at the time have been accounted for, the others we are not sure if they are trying to find their way out or if they are trapped," said Mr. Burns.

Marge let out a gasp when she heard Sector 7G mentioned, that was where Homer worked and she prayed hard that he got out safe and sound.

"What would happen if they did not get out in time?" asked Scott Christian.

"Well the generator is powered by some radiation so even a small amount can get into the lungs, causing respiratory problems, cancer, and really bad bowel movements," said Mr. Burns who then shuddered at the last possible diagnoses.

"Do you think the generator exploded because of how the plant has been running lately?" asked Scott Christian.

Mr. Burns did not say anything; he only glared at Scott who then gave a cutting motion to the camera which then brought the screen back on Kent Brockman.

"Police are urging everyone to stay away from the nuclear power plant at this time so the hazmat and EMT's can get there in time. If you do have a loved one working there, police have informed me that you are permitted to go find them but are not permitted to enter the building," said Kent.

Marge did not want to hear another word; she quickly turned off the television and ran out the door to her car, heading out to the power plant as fast as she could.

As soon as Marge arrived she was stopped by a Chief Wiggum who seemed to be exhausted from all the traffic around him.

"Uh Ma'm you can't go past this point without authorization," said Wiggum.

"But my husband is in there, he was working over at Sector 7G," said Marge sounding very frazzled and upset.

"What's your husband's name?" asked Wiggum who had a roster with a list of names on it.

"Homer Simpson," said Marge hoping that the roster meant he was accounted for.

Chief Wiggum looked down the list for quite some time; Marge rubbed her hands together in worry while it seemed to take an eternity before Wiggum finally found his name.

"Oh here he is, right on the bottom, looks like he got out of there not too long ago, because of that he's over by that fire engine and ambulance," said Wiggum as he pointed Marge to an area where a bunch of EMT's were looking over some of the men.

Marge quickly backed out and parked nearby before running over to see if Homer was among them, it didn't take long to find him, he was sitting in the back of an ambulance looking worried while a doctor was checking up on him.

"Homey!" Marge cried out.

"Oh no you heard," said Homer, he really did not want to come home and explain what happened to Marge.

"I heard it on the news just now, are you okay?" asked Marge.

"I feel okay but I was stuck in there forever, I didn't think I would ever find my way out," said Homer.

"When did you get out?" asked the doctor while he was checking Homer's blood pressure.

"About twenty minutes or so, that one guy that you rushed to the hospital not too long ago, that was Charlie I found him lying on the floor on my way out. I felt guilty leaving him there," said Homer sounding a bit nervous mentioning the idea that he took forever getting out to help a friend, a rare thing for him to even think about doing.

"Wow you risked your life doing that, you seem fine now but if you start developing any health problems, go see a doctor right away, radiation is very bad for you especially in high doses," said the doctor as he motioned for Homer to get up now that they were done checking on him.

"We will take that into consideration," said Marge hoping that Homer didn't breathe in too much.

Marge looked at Homer as they walked back to the car, he did look a bit scared but she would not blame him. For something to blow up like that really showed poor management and she hoped that it taught Mr. Burns a lesson about keeping the plant safe. Hopefully nothing bad would happen.

"_So did Homer have any problems right away?" Ned asked after Marge finished that sentence._

"_No, in fact we thought Homer was the lucky one, especially after we kept seeing his coworkers get sick almost every day. Like Mr. Burns also said, there was a possibility of bad bowel movements, and Homer did have that for a few days. He even went back to the nuclear plant when the problem was fixed about a month later, they had new safety seminars on how to fix any problems and Homer went to those so he could better understand what to do if the problem ever arose again. He seemed perfectly fine, until one morning three months later," Began Marge yet again._

"Homer hurry up and get dressed its time for church!" Marge yelled at the top of the stairs, it was so annoying when Homer wanted to sleep forever before church.

She started to hear Homer shuffle through the room but it took him longer than usual to get ready and Marge was starting to wonder if it was some kind of prank. Finally she had enough and ran up the stairs to give Homer a piece of her mind.

When she entered, she found Homer sitting alone on the bed, one leg on the wrong side of his pants while trying to figure out why he could not get the other one in. She noticed that he looked paler than usual and just not himself.

"Homey are you okay?" asked Marge.

"Yeah just give me a minute to get my foot in these pants," said Homer, his voice sounding very gravely and sick while his pantless leg moved up and down as he tried to put on his pants.

Marge quickly touched his forehead and noticed how hot it felt.

"Oh my you are burning up, I don't think you should go to church today, just rest, we will be home around one," said Marge.

Homer only nodded as Marge helped him take the pants off his one leg and quickly lied down. Marge watched him for a moment with concern before closing the door behind her.

Marge then went downstairs where Lisa, Bart and Maggie were waiting and looking a bit curious as to why Homer was not down yet.

"Is Dad almost ready?" asked Lisa.

"He's not coming today, he's not feeling too great," said Marge.

"Uh oh," Bart said to Lisa. Both of them had known about the power plant incident and had heard what happened to many of Homer's coworkers. Was this what they were dreading?

"Just pray for him at church, I bet he will be alright," said Marge as she opened the door and motioned for them to get to the car.

The kids nodded in agreement and did not say anything the whole time as they headed on over to church.

But Homer did not recover as fast as most cold patients do, six days later he was still feeling miserable, though not as bad as he had been the first three days. The second day was spent next to a garbage can and the third day brought on heavy coughing fits. On the sixth day Homer went back to work saying that he feeling a bit better and that he would be fine. He did not stay at work for long though, only two hours in, Homer developed a hot sweat and suddenly had trouble breathing. He went to the restroom to see if some cool water would help, but halfway there he collapsed. He woke up a short time later to find his friends and coworkers' standing above him wondering what was going on.

An hour later he was at Dr. Hibbert's office receiving different tests to find out what had happened, Marge was by his side looking worried and hoping it was not what she feared. They would not find out though until four days later when Dr. Hibbert called asking them to come to the hospital right away.

* * *

"I remember standing in that cold room with Homer listening to what Dr. Hibbert told us. He told us how Homer now had terminal cancer and that he would be lucky enough to survive for more than a year. He told us how his body was slowly melting away and there was really nothing they could do," said Marge who was now blowing her nose quite hard.

"Not even therapy or surgery or antibiotics?" asked Ned.

"He was given antibiotics and I think that that was what kept him alive longer than Dr. Hibbert said. Five months before he died, he fainted after having trouble breathing and he went into emergency surgery to see how bad the cancer has spread. The diagnosis was not good, they came to me after surgery saying he would be on oxygen for the rest of his life and……." Marge looked up at Ned, her eyes filled with tears. Ned could sense that Marge could not take it any more and nodded for her to stop.

Ned watched as Marge covered her face on the table and began to cry heavily, he knew that talking about it any more would be too much for her. He patted her back letting her cry until she could cry no more. She did not even hear Rod and Todd come through the door as they returned from school. They saw Marge at the table and looked curiously at their father who then put his finger between his mouth and quietly motioned for them to go upstairs. They did not need to see this right now.

Ned patted Marge on her back, humming quietly to help her calm down a little. It was hard seeing her be this way, usually she was perky and so full of energy, it made him wonder how long it had been since she last smiled at someone. Suddenly a knock came at the door and Ned turned to Marge who had actually heard the knock and looked up at him with curious, tear filled eyes.

"You stay there, I will answer that," he said.

Ned quickly made his way over and opened the door to find Lisa standing there looking very distraught and scared.

"Have you seen my mother, I came home and found Maggie all by herself crying for attention," said Lisa as fast as she could.

Marge looked up at the clock and gasped in surprise.

"Don't worry, she is here with me, we had a nice long talk," said Ned.

"It went on for way too long though, I should have been back an hour ago," said Marge who was walking forward wiping her eyes.

"Now just remember, if you need to talk again just come right on over, I will listen to every word, don't be shy now," said Ned who then gave Marge a big hug.

Lisa watched them and smiled, she was glad her mother had decided to talk to someone, she really needed it. It was hard seeing Marge mope about, rarely smiling; Lisa had almost worried a few times that her mother was thinking suicide. Luckily that was not the case, Marge even said so one night by telling the kids that Lisa, Bart, and Maggie were her most precious treasures and that she would always count on them to be there for her. She still had something to live for.

But Lisa also needed someone to confide in, she had talked to Bart quite a lot. Sometimes she would wake up at night and go to Bart's room who was also feeling sleepless, and together they would talk it over until one had fallen asleep. But for the past week, she also felt that she needed to talk to someone else, someone who wasn't as sad as she was. Maybe Rod and Todd would be a good help in that. But not today, the Flanders's had heard enough from their mother to want a short recess from her. Maybe in a few days she would talk to them, for now though she had to watch Maggie while her mother made dinner, and get some homework done.

* * *

A/N: Yeah that ending was weak, sorry about that. Any way I hope you enjoyed that chapter, I'm not very happy with it, I feel something is missing but that happens sometimes. The next one will be more lighthearted and fun so hopefully there will be no tears shed from you guys. I feel kind of guilty doing that but I guess that means I know how to bring out emotion I never knew I had. Any way please review I love getting those things. And have a nice week, I will update in probably about a week, I just think a week is a nice long wait.


	4. What Kids Think

Two weeks had passed since Marge had gone to see Ned and so far Marge was feeling a bit better. Ned seemed to be her personal psychologist, helping her with whatever she needed. She had gone to see him six more times during those two weeks, and twice she visited him at the Leftorium while the kids were in school. Marge was no longer crying as much but everyone could still feel the emptiness inside her. Everyone knew that it would be a while before she felt true happiness again.

The kids had noticed this change in their mother as well and it felt refreshing to them. They didn't have to see her cry over a meal or a good movie with a loving husband and wife. But Lisa and Bart knew they had to find counsel in someone and both agreed that a week afterward they would talk with Rod and Todd about their feelings over loosing a parent themselves.

It was during recess after lunch when Bart walked out of the cafeteria looking around for Lisa. He had not seen her during lunch and wondered if she had gone off to her special spot to read a book by herself.

Sure enough, he found her, nose deep into a book, tears falling down her face.

"Lisa! You shouldn't read anything sad right now," said Bart as he walked over.

"It's not my fault Bart, this book is about vampires and I didn't realize the main character Bella would do such a thing to her father in the end here," said Lisa as she pointed out what was going on in _Twilight._

"Oh great, you're a fan too?" asked Bart.

"Not particularly, I find Bella strange, she should really go after that Mike character," said Lisa as she wiped her face of the tears that had fallen.

"Well I guess that's good to know, you still wanna talk to Rod and Todd?" asked Bart.

"Sure, have you seen them today?" asked Lisa.

Bart looked around; he knew both of them where at school today, Todd had been answering most of the questions during math today. It was so annoying listening to smart kids.

"I did see Rod by the water fountain when school started this morning," said Lisa.

Bart continued to search and he did find them the only problem was, they were not alone. They were over by some rocks that many of the kids liked to play on during recess, Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearny were there too, but he knew that it wasn't because they wanted to gossip.

"Oh great the losers are going to get pummeled," said Bart.

"Well go stop it, who knows maybe they will talk to you after being saved," said Lisa who gave him a quick shove so he could get a move on.

"Yeah that would work, you wanna come with and give me support?" asked Bart.

Lisa looked down at her book for a moment then up at Bart. He usually had a good way to keeping the peace. "Sure, this book is annoying any way," said Lisa.

Bart then led the way down the hill toward his neighbors who were by now pinned against the wall looking worried and unsure of what to do. Once Bart was close enough, he gave Jimbo a heavy shove on the shoulder.

"Hey man, who's trying to interfere with our negotiations?" asked Jimbo as he turned around after regaining his footing.

"That would be me, and I would suggest you three leave those two alone if you know what's good for you," said Bart.

"Oh yeah, you and what army?" asked Kearny who towered over Bart while he punched his fist. Dolph and Jimbo were right behind him, smirking and ready to punch the underachiever out. Bart looked up at them nervously, in his act of bravery, he had forgotten how much taller they were and tougher. He now felt like a mouse trapped by three very hungry eagles and there was no escape.

"Him and this army," said a voice behind them.

Bart and the bullies turned around to find Todd looking a bit angry while Rod just stared wondering what was going on in his brother's head.

"Oh look, the wuss wants to fight too, should we let him?" asked Dolph.

"I bet he will fall down in two seconds," said Jimbo who gave Todd a small shove.

Todd fell back and was quickly caught by Rod. "Why are you doing this Todd?" he asked.

"Because if he wants to help us then I say he is a good neighbor. Plus Dad said they would come to us eventually," said Todd.

"Oh that's right, you guys loose another parent then you all will be orphans, and then we will call you little orphan morons!" said Jimbo.

The bullies then started chanting "Little Orphan Morons" Making Bart, Todd, and Rod get very angry. Lisa was even showing her anger by ripping pages out of her book, as a way of staying out of the mess.

Todd ignored the remarks and moved forward to give Jimbo a punch in the face. Because of his size though, Jimbo quickly stopped him by pressing his palm against Todd's head while Todd kept trying to move forward, both his fists flailing out to hit Jimbo, only to hit air. The bullies laughed before Jimbo pushed Todd backwards where he quickly landed in some mud and looking a bit surprised by what just happened.

Finally Bart moved forward, fist in the air, ready to hit whoever made his target. It was Kearny. Kearny did not see him coming right away and did move in time as Bart's hand met just under his eye, sending Kearny sprawling back against the rock. Kearny fell in a heap and lay there stunned.

"Hey you don't do that to our leader," said Jimbo as he moved forward casting a shadow over Bart who was now cornered once again and with no way out.

Before Bart knew it, both Jimbo and Dolph were on him. He did not have any time to fight back before he finally blacked out.

Bart awoke a few moments later with Principal Skinner standing above him looking concerned but pleased to see he was still alive.

"You okay Bart?" asked Skinner.

Bart sat up, everything felt sore and he felt something warm trickle down his chin. Bart touched it and was shocked to find blood on his hand. He quickly discovered that he had received a fat lip, and his right eye was only halfway open and it didn't look too great already.

"I guess so, but ow!" said Bart.

"I went to get Principal Skinner just as you were about to be pummeled, you were lucky they didn't do more to you and you can thank Todd for that." said Lisa who then pointed at Todd who was also shaken up while holding his arm and covered in mud. The bully's were standing nearby being blocked by Mrs. Krabapple from getting any closer. They would most likely be suspended for a few days.

"Well you two need to go to the nurses station and we will call your parents, Todd you might have a hurt wrist. And you are all suspended for the rest of the day, Lisa you too," said Skinner.

Todd said nothing but let Rod help him up as he and Lisa escorted their brothers to the nurse's center to get patched up. Along the way Bart peered over at Todd with his good eye and gave a small smirk.

"Wow Todd, I didn't know you had it in you," he said.

"Yeah I don't know what came over me either, one moment I was glaring at those bullies with an evil eye, the next I found myself on top of the stupid one and smacking his head, before he flipped me on my back and twisted my wrist," said Todd.

"Could you be more specific?" asked Bart.

At that, all four kids laughed.

Bart had been quickly given an ice pack for his eye, his lip had stopped bleeding just before entering the room but now it felt sore and painful. Todd had only sprained his wrist and was given a wrapping so he would not have to move it too much. Once they were all patched up they all walked to the front office to wait for their parents.

"I find it odd that I am getting suspended the rest of the day, but I guess Skinner felt it was for the best since I did kind of provoke you," said Lisa as she sat down.

"Yeah, but that means Mom doesn't have to pick us up twice," said Bart who let out a heavy sigh, mainly because he was still shocked over what had just happened. He never imagined his neighbors helping him out in a jam like this.

"Just so you know, you two are very brave with what you have been through," said Rod.

"Yeah we try to be," said Lisa as she watched Bart adjust his ice pack on his eye.

"I don't know how many times I cried for mom after she died at night, it seemed like a year," said Todd.

"I think it was only three months but it was still forever," said Rod.

"How did you guys get over it?" asked Bart as he adjusted the ice pack making sure he had a nice big ice cube on his eye. He then flinched before letting out a sigh of relief.

"Dad helped us, just like he helped your mom, you can probably learn from him if you ask him," said Todd.

"Yeah we'll probably get around to it," said Bart in an unconcerned voice. He wasn't as interested in seeing Flanders as Marge was.

"Oh and one more thing, your mom seems very smitten with our dad, I was watching her leave our house yesterday and she would not stop hugging him and telling him how glad she was to have him around," said Rod.

"Oh that probably doesn't mean anything," said Bart.

"Think about it, she has been happier since she has visited him," said Todd.

"But that's because your dad is helping," said Lisa.

"I would watch though if I were you, when Dad fell in love with that musician he had that look like he wanted to be with her forever. It looks like your mom has that," said Todd.

Bart and Lisa both gave each other concerned looks, what if their mother was already finding someone new to love. It just didn't seem right to them, not so soon any way. To both of them, finding a new love should not happen until at least the third year or if the love was strong, not at all. Lisa then turned to the door and saw Ned coming up the steps.

"Speak of the Devil," said Lisa when Ned opened the door. Rod and Todd gave her an "unsatisfied with her statement" look. "Speak of the saint?" Rod and Todd then nodded.

They waited as Ned announced he was here to pick up his kids and when he entered the room, they all looked up at him with sheepish faces.

"Nice to see you all are getting along, too bad you're getting suspended for it, what did I tell you about turning the other cheek?" asked Ned with a stern face yet his voice did not sound too upset.

"Sorry Daddy, I don't think that would have worked out well though since we would have been pummeled either way," said Rod.

"Yeah those bullies never take no for an answer," said Bart.

"Oh well, its all behind us now, time to head home. Bart, you and Lisa are coming with me too, your mom did ask since she is making dinner for all of us tonight," said Ned.

Bart and Lisa's eyes widened at the statement, which was a feat for Bart under all that ice pack. They both turned to Rod and Todd who looked at them nervously.

"That's one sign," said Todd in a whisper.

Lisa and Bart both gave each other worried glances; Marge had never invited Ned over unless it was an apology for something. But it could also be for thanking him for helping her out, whatever it was they would keep an eye out for any signs of affection.

Lisa and Bart hoped that the drive would be nice and quiet so they could calm down after that fight on the playground, but they soon learned that Ned had other plans.

"Bart I know you thought getting into a fight would make you seem tougher but that doesn't always solve your problems," said Ned once they were away from the school.

"What? I wasn't fighting because I was sad, I was fighting because I wanted to help out Rod and Todd," said Bart who then grumbled under his breath.

"And that was very nice of you to help, but you could have helped them by walking away and keeping the peace. I know you've had a rough month and I know what its like to loose someone you love and when that happens, you don't think clearly so you end up doing things you regret," said Ned.

"But trying to keep the peace is impossible with them, even if you try to back down they will sill fight you, call you names and just treat you like crap. I knew what I was doing and I don't regret it," said Bart as he adjusted his ice pack again while he let out a huff.

"But remember the martyrs in the Bible; they were ridiculed for not fighting back, but they didn't care. A lot of people find them very brave," said Ned.

"Yeah right then they died," said Bart as he rolled his eyes. Even though Bart had half his face covered by an ice pack, Lisa could still see him glaring at Ned and she knew why.

"Just try to be more careful next time, you don't want your mother all in a tizzy over you guys, you are all she has now," said Ned.

Bart said nothing but continued to glare the rest of the trip. Ned could sense that Bart was not happy with his fatherly attitude and kept his mouth shut the rest of the way home. Even Rod and Todd who both decided it was best to stare out the window. Todd holding his injured wrist while Rod would count how many trees he saw.

Lisa and Bart were very happy when Ned finally pulled into the driveway once they got home. It felt too awkward to be around him at the moment and both wanted to have a short amount of quiet time in their own house before dinner.

Once they got out of the car, Bart and Lisa quickly thanked Ned who informed them he would be over in a moment. Bart only rolled his eyes and grumbled as he followed Lisa to their house.

"He's not our father but he sure is trying to act like one, thinking he can take over right away what a moron," said Bart.

"Yeah I don't like that either, Dad would have congratulated us for standing up to someone," said Lisa.

"Yeah he would have picked us up and taken us for ice cream," said Bart who then licked his lips at the thought of a really good ice cream cone.

Lisa only nodded as she opened the door and both their nostrils were filled with wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. Marge had not made anything this delicious smelling in a while and both were glad to finally have a good meal after more than a month.

"Hi mom," said Lisa sheepishly when she entered the kitchen.

Marge had been busy chopping some celery for the salad she was making but quickly stopped what she was doing and turned to the kids with a look of annoyance on her face.

"So you both got into a fight," said Marge.

"Actually I just watched, Bart did most of it," said Lisa as she stared at Bart who was still holding the ice pack on his eye. He wasn't sure how long he needed it on; he just knew that it was making him feel better.

"You can probably take off the ice pack now Bart, and let me look at your eye. That lip looks like it might stay swollen for a few days," said Marge.

Bart took off the ice pack and looked back at Marge with a half open eye, already it was starting to turn black and very swollen. Marge touched it only a little but Bart quickly flinched before backing away.

"Sorry Bart, it looks like it will be black and blue for a while, please don't try that again, I can't stand worrying about you guys more than I am," said Marge as she turned back to her celery cutting and let out a sniffle. Now that Homer was gone, her kids were the only things that mattered and if they were gone she knew her whole life would be ruined.

"Sorry Mom, they were trying to hurt Rod and Todd, I had to do something, oh and Ned will be over shortly," said Bart hoping to change the subject.

"Oh good, and I just wanted to let both of you know that Mr. Burns check came in the mail today," said Marge who also decided that talking about fights was not a very good idea right now.

"Oh! How much did we get Mom?" asked Lisa knowing that whatever the price was, Marge would still be unsatisfied, she just wanted Homer back.

"Forty-two thousand dollars," said Marge with a slight happiness in her voice but also one who really didn't care.

"What are we going to do with it any way?" asked Bart hoping that his Mom would get him a new bike or a new car.

"I'm saving it for when you three go to college or at least two of you," said Marge knowing how Bart never showed much interest in college.

"Great idea Mom, I don't want to miss out on that," said Lisa.

Marge only murmured in agreement and went back to fixing the salad. Bart and Lisa decided to stay out of her way and walked to the living room where Maggie was standing there waiting and showing off a drawing she did. She quickly put it down when she saw Bart's eye.

"Barty, I thought you weren't allowed to put makeup on," said Maggie who had always called Bart "Barty" and had gotten in trouble once for trying to put lipstick on Bart when he was sleeping on the couch.

Lisa laughed while Bart gave his littlest sister a big hug. "Its not makeup Maggie, my eye just hurts," said Bart.

Maggie gasped and gave a worried look. "You're not gonna leave like Daddy are you?" she asked.

"Don't worry Maggie, I won't leave you," said Bart who gave Maggie a quick little hug.

"Yay! You want to color with me now?" asked Maggie as she spread out her crayons and sheets of paper. Maggie's mind was so easily distracted at that age.

Bart and Lisa both smiled at her and without saying a word, they joined Maggie on the floor and colored until dinner time.

A few hours later, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie had found themselves playing games with Rod and Todd before dinner was called to them. Everyone took their seats and took what they needed. Ned even started a little prayer before they could even begin to eat. Once the prayers were said, conversation began.

"I'm glad you want to save that money Marge, college is such a wise investment, you don't want to give that up," said Ned.

"No, I want the best for my kids; the only problem is, since I am saving it I do probably need to find a job. The money Homer still had won't last forever and I need to support the kids," said Marge who let out a worried sigh. Marge didn't want to work, not with taking care of Maggie who took up most of her day. Ned could see this and he quickly had a solution.

"How about working for me at the Leftorium, I always need an extra hand and it doesn't matter if it's left or right. The guy who usually helps me is not always reliable and I sometimes get calls from customer service asking if I am opening on some days because he didn't show up," said Ned.

Bart and Lisa stopped eating and looked over at Rod and Todd who both seemed to have the strange feeling they were getting. Ned was helping but was he being way too helpful? Marge didn't even notice for she was staring at Maggie wondering what to do about her.

"But I need to think about Maggie too, I just don't want to drop her off at any old day care, she still has two more years before she can go into kindergarten," said Marge.

"I don't think she will be a bother working with you, you can put a playpen behind the desk and Maggie will be as happy as the first barnacle on a new ship. I have a friend that did that and the kid never bothered her," said Ned.

Marge thought for a moment as she chewed on a piece of chicken. It seemed to take forever and Bart was about to change the conversation when she finally responded.

"What do you kids think?" asked Marge as she turned to Bart and Lisa.

"Uh….." was all Lisa could say.

"How often would you be working there?" asked Bart who really did not want to have his mother working there five days a week.

"Well I probably only need you on the two days I am off and probably one day to help with inventory which only takes about two or three hours, that should be about it," said Ned.

Marge thought for a moment as she looked down at the kids. Lisa seemed to think it was okay, her mom needed to be out of the house from time to time and earn some extra money to keep the family moving. Bart was a bit reluctant by this, of course Ned had done a lot of things for them over the years but this was definitely a big one. Then Marge looked at Maggie, would she be patient enough to keep quiet while Marge was doing her job? Maggie was known to behave but sometimes she could get a little rowdy. Usually a new toy could fix that, Maggie was known for being easily amused.

"You know that's not bad, I'll take that job, when do you want me?" asked Marge once she finally made her decision.

"How about on Wednesday when the shipment comes in, I will show you how to do inventory and work the cash machine," said Ned.

Bart watched as Marge smiled and patted Ned on the hand. Ned smiled back at her as he chewed on a piece of chicken. Bart then turned to Lisa who tried her hardest to swallow all her lemonade without spitting it out in surprise. Were they really showing affection to each other, or was it just them being paranoid after what Rod and Todd said. They looked over at the two boys who paid no attention as they tried to get the last of the chicken off a piece of bone.

"Ned, thank you, I am so glad to have you around," said Marge just as Bart and Lisa were brought back to reality.

Ned only smiled back before they continued the rest of the meal uneventfully.

* * *

A/N: Yay a fun chapter! Okay first off if any of you are _Twilight _fans I apologize for wrecking the book but what Lisa said basically sums up how I feel about those books. I read the first two and that's enough for me for now, I might read the third if I ever run out of books to read. Well if you all liked the ending then good for you, it probably ended abruptly but that was the only ending I could think of at the moment. Oh and I know Maggie was not very talkative in the first chapter but it was late and she was half asleep, she will have more things to say too. Hope you all enjoyed it though and please review, I seemed to have lost some reviewers and now I am sad. Eh but that happens, I should be used to that by now. Any way I will stop blabbing and let you all go about your lives.


	5. Working at the Leftorium

A/N: Wow I am amazed that no one has corrected me on this! I've been spelling Marge's pet word to Homer as Homey and I have discovered my mistake after reading through the guide books and the new Marge Book, its actually spelled Homie. So yeah my mistake will be corrected in the next chapters that have Homer in them, including this one. Yes it's sad and yes you might be drying your nose with a pancake, notice that the word might is there, it depends on the readers mood. Also because some people have requested stuff, I have added three more chapters so it should come to about 18 chapters. Yayness. I shall shut up now and go on with the story before you all kick my ass.

* * *

It was Wednesday morning and Ned Flanders arrived at The Leftorium ready to start the day. He made sure everything was in order and restocked what he needed all in an hour before Marge arrived. He liked the idea of Marge helping out; he could teach her all he knew just before lunch especially since business was not too busy in the morning.

Marge soon arrived a few minutes before she was needed. Maggie was in a stroller playing with one of her shoes. Ned did not see her come in though because he was too busy making sure the coffee cups were aligned just right.

It was Maggie who got his attention when she decided it would be fun to throw her shoe at the wall. Ned quickly jumped up and looked to find Marge scolding Maggie.

"Maggie, don't do that, it makes the wall all dirty," said Marge as she put Maggie's shoe back on.

"Sorry Mommy," said Maggie.

"Howdilly Doodilly Marge, are you ready to help me out?" asked Ned sounding all cheerful. He was glad to get Marge away from her house so they could talk more.

"I guess I'm as ready as I will ever be," said Marge as she looked up at Ned. Ned quickly noticed that Marge had that same look she had the first time she came in to visit Ned a little over two weeks ago now.

"What's wrong Marge?" asked Ned.

"Oh I had a dream last night and Homer was in it, it was such a happy dream and then I woke up and found myself all alone in the bed," said Marge.

Ned gave her a small frown. He remembered having dreams with Maude in them after she died and he was always so sad to see them end. He did have dreams with her still in them sometimes but they were rare now.

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Ned.

"Maybe after you show me what to do, you probably need to get going and show me the ropes," said Marge.

Ned nodded as she led Marge into the back room where the entire inventory was. The backroom was a lot bigger than Marge thought. It looked to be as big as the whole store and everything was in perfect order.

"Now I just got this whole shipment in last night," said Ned as he pointed to a pile of boxes that were by the door. It was all mismatched and not very neat. "What you do is you take a box and you count how many articles or packages are in here. Then you take the box and you move it to its location, if its heavy just wheel it there with this dolly. Then put next to the other boxes all nice and neat and then go back to the next box. It's really that simple."

"Well it does look simple, not too hard at all, sounds like an easy job," said Marge.

"Good, now come out here and I will show you how to work the register," said Ned.

Ned quickly gave Marge a tutorial on the register and it didn't take her long to know what she was doing before a customer came in. It was Moe, coming in for a new left handed corkscrew for his bar. When he saw Marge at the register, his face instantly lit up.

"Oh hey Midge! I didn't know you worked here," said Moe.

"It's my first day, gotta make money now somehow," said Marge as she looked at the price tag on the corkscrew and then pointed at a button on the register to Ned who quickly nodded.

"So how have you been any way, I haven't seen you since the funeral," said Moe who made sure he sounded sincere and concerned for her.

"I'm hanging in there, it's been hard but I think I can make it. Twelve fifty-five please," said Marge.

Moe quickly gave Marge his credit card and smiled at her bravery. "Yeah the guys at the bar are really bored now; it definitely isn't the same without him."

"I know what you mean Moe," said Marge who now really wanted this conversation to end, even though Ned was helping, the pain was still there.

"Well I hope to see you again sometime, if you need anything feel free to call," said Moe who quickly signed and walked out, he could somehow sense that Marge was not happy with the conversation.

Once Moe left, Ned quickly changed the subject. "Good job Marge, you are already a pro at this," said Ned.

"Thanks Ned, should I wait for another or start inventory for you?" asked Marge.

"Well the store is slow around this hour so I will man the register, you just stay in the back and the next person who comes, you can take care of them," said Ned.

Marge nodded and quickly brought Maggie to the back room with her to sort inventory. Marge set Maggie in a spot where she could see her easily while she played with blocks and set about working.

There was a lot more than Marge thought and was only halfway done when her lunchtime rolled around. Ned had actually left for lunch and left her in charge for an hour. Marge actually did a pretty good job of it too, only two people came in and both offered their condolences to Marge before leaving.

When Ned returned, he found Marge sitting on top of a box and watching Maggie. He thought she was resting for a moment until he noticed a tear fall down her face.

"Everything okay Marge?" asked Ned.

"It's just been one of those days, I am so surprised I haven't burst into tears in front of some of those customers," said Marge.

"That dream last night got to you huh?" asked Ned.

Marge only nodded before getting up to do more inventory. She really didn't want to feel so down and have Ned deal with her in the store. She needed to be tough and do her job.

Ned sat down and watched her take inventory to one of the boxes. Marge did not even notice until she turned around and saw him staring back.

"It's okay Ned, I'll be fine," said Marge.

"Oh I'm not leaving until we have another talk, its okay, I can watch for anyone from this door right here. Even at work you can feel down," said Ned who then patted the box signaling for Marge to come sit with him.

Marge slowly trudged over and sat beside Ned. Lately Lisa or Bart would be beside her giving her hugs on the living room couch and that always made her feel better inside, but this time sitting next to Ned, it felt different. He had a warm feeling about him and there seemed to be a loving vibe that she had not felt since Homer lay beside her.

"Now do you remember where we left off the last time we talked about Homer?" asked Ned.

Marge thought for a moment and then gasped in surprise; this next part was something she really was not ready for.

"Oh no Ned not today, not the way I've been feeling," said Marge.

"It's okay Marge, start talking about it, just remember how you can always stop when you want," said Ned who was now holding Marge's hand for support.

Marge sighed and looked down at Ned's hand, it was so soft and small, not huge like Homer's had been. "Okay I'll tell you," she began as she remembered an evening that happened a little over a year ago.

* * *

"_How was the doctor today Homer?" Marge asked as she sat in bed waiting for Homer to get finished brushing his teeth._

"_He said I am doing well which is surprising because of how everyone else has faired. Maybe I will not get it as bad and everything will be alright," said Homer as he slowly made his way to his side of the bed. His strides had been slower lately which made him look like he would drop any moment and fall asleep. He still went to work but he had also been offered to work at home. Homer opted not to unless he physically couldn't go out for very long. _

"_Yes but for how long, I've noticed how tired you get lately," said Marge._

"_I wonder that too Marge, but lets think about the happy things, or the bad things will come quicker than you think. Dr. Hibbert told me that one," said Homer with a short grin as he got into bed and pulled up close to Marge under the covers._

"_You're right Homie, but I just hate the idea of loosing you," said Marge with a sigh._

"_Maybe its not as bad as they say, maybe it will go away soon, and all this will be a funny memory," said Homer._

"_Yeah maybe, but what if it does attack you full force, without warning, then how long will you have?" asked Marge._

_Homer stared back at Marge with fear in his eyes, he hadn't thought about the complications that could arise. What if he did die on her suddenly? How would she go on without him? How would the kids fare without a father in the house? Maggie was just starting to talk and play like a toddler and he loved watching her do so. It was now devastating to think that his little girl would grow up without him. Even worse was the idea of Bart not having a father figure and Lisa, how would Lisa fare? Those sudden thoughts made him scared and he quickly hugged Marge as he suddenly began to cry, something he hadn't done yet._

"_Just promise me you will warn me before you slip away," said Marge._

"_I'll try honey, but death can be so unfair……" Homer explained as he looked down at his sheets unable to look at his wife in the eyes without crying. "………I want to grow old with you."_

_Marge stared back at Homer, his face so solemn and tired looking. He had never said such a thing like that before and she was amazed at how he let it out with only letting a few tears flow. Just staring at him right now made Marge sob heavily. Homer looked back into her beautiful hazel eyes and saw the worry and fear that she had been dreading for a year now. A look that he hated to see, it always made him feel down. Carefully he moved his hands over Marge's cheeks and wiped the tears away. Marge let out a heavy sigh and held Homer's hands as she continued to look him in the eyes._

"_Do you have any pain?" she finally asked._

"_My joints will sometimes feel stiff and sore and my chest does get weak and tired when I do something big, but it doesn't stop me for days like some patients have felt," said Homer._

_Marge stared back at Homer, she had seen him every day but failed to notice that his stomach was a little smaller now, and his face looked tired and heavy as if he hadn't had much sleep in a while._

"_You've lost weight too," said Marge._

"_Yeah I guess it's because I haven't gone to the bar very much and I haven't been as hungry," said Homer as he let go of Marge's hand and tapped his stomach lightly, it didn't jiggle like it used to. He looked back at her with a nervous grin and realized how serious this now was._

_Marge sat there realizing what Homer had just said, his dinner plate was rarely clean and usually he only took half of what he used to eat. Why was her husband slowly wasting away like this? Why couldn't the doctors help him get better as fast as they could?_

"_All I want is for you to be well," was all Marge said after thinking about it long enough._

"_And Marge," said Homer as he grabbed her hand and held it tightly. Marge looked back at him with longing and worried eyes._

"_Yes Homer?" she asked as more tears began to fall down her face._

"_Even if I do leave you, I will find a way to be with you in spirit," said Homer who was now crying as much as Marge was._

"_Oh Homie, I love you!" said Marge as she went full force at Homer, hugging him tightly._

"_And I love you with all my heart," said Homer as he tried his hardest to keep the tears from falling down his cheeks like a river._

_That night they slept very closely together, never leaving each others side. Both dreaming of their golden years together, watching their children grow and the grandchildren they hoped to have. Oh what a wonderful thought it was to have grandchildren and watch them grow like the kids. It was so hard to see that Homer would soon be missing in the house; Marge did not want to even think about it, not yet. Life is a precious thing and it is best to enjoy the present and not the future of what was to come. _

_When they woke up the next morning, they found that they had slept in longer than they should have but that was alright, the kids took care of themselves and went to school without a problem. That was what Marge liked and she prayed that the kids were handling it better than she was._

* * *

Marge was now crying heavily in front of Ned; Maggie was standing nearby watching, unsure of what was going on. She had seen her mother cry numerous times and knew better than to cry back because Marge would end up crying even harder. Ned patted her on the back and quickly walked out to help a customer. When he returned he found her blowing her nose and wiping the tears off her face.

"You were right Marge, that was too hard for you today," said Ned who was now close to crying himself.

Marge did not say anything but quickly got up and went to the next box, she dug around for a moment before writing down the number on the sheet of paper she had. She was about to get the dolly when she turned and saw Ned standing there looking concerned.

Marge was about to say something when Ned grabbed her hand and held it tight.

"Go home, I can do the rest later," said Ned.

"Are you sure?" asked Marge.

"I am as positive as a plus sign," said Ned.

Marge knew that arguing would not help so she quickly scooped up Maggie and put her in her stroller while Ned walked her to the door.

Outside in the mall, Bart and Lisa had been let out early for the day and decided to help their mother by picking up Maggie and taking her home. Bart was the first to arrive but quickly stopped short when he saw Ned and Marge walk out of the room. Both of them were holding each others hands and Marge was looking up at Ned with longing eyes. Bart gasped in surprise as Lisa came forward.

"What's wrong Bart?" asked Lisa.

Bart only pointed as Lisa looked up just in time to see Marge give Ned a huge hug. Lisa let out a smile, for a few days she was a little worried about what Rod and Todd said but after much thinking she decided that they were seeing things at different angles and what looked like love was really just a sincere and heartwarming smile. But persuading Bart to see this was going to be tough.

"Oh I'll bet he was just helping her out with something," said Lisa.

"Yeah but I don't like it, Rod and Todd are probably right, Flanders is trying to get our mom," said Bart.

"You go ahead and think that, I'm just glad Mom has someone to talk to," said Lisa.

"But what about us?" asked Bart.

Lisa gave Bart an annoyed look, one that told Bart that talking to kids was not the best solution for someone who had lost a loved one. It was especially true if the kids dealt with it too, they would be as upset as their mother.

"Well you believe what you want to believe, I'll keep a close eye on this," said Bart.

"Just be careful Bart and don't overreact over little things," said Lisa with a nervous voice because by now Marge had seen them and was coming toward them with Maggie in the baby stroller.

"Yeah yeah I'll try not to," said Bart who sounded like he had some plans up his sleeves.

Lisa was not convinced with Bart's attitude and was about to respond when Marge came up to say hello.

"I'm going home early today kids, I'm not feeling well, why are you both here?" asked Marge as she let out a sniff.

"Because we wanted to take Maggie home for you and can you give me a moment, I need to talk to Bart privately," said Lisa.

"Sure," said Marge who watched as Lisa walked away from her and grabbed Bart by the shirt collar. She brought him over to a nearby fountain and pushed him up against a wall.

"Ow, what?" asked Bart.

"Promise me you won't interfere with Mr. Flanders helping Mom out," said Lisa with a growl in her throat.

"Hey as long as he only helps her out I'm fine with that, but holding hands that's not right," said Bart.

"I know it's not right but Mr. Flanders has different ways of helping someone, now promise me or you'll get dunked in the spit filled water," said Lisa angrily.

"Can I stop them if I see any kissing?" asked Bart.

"There won't be any kissing, now promise me," said Lisa who was now starting to pull Bart over to the water and dragging his back against the fountain.

"What if they are watching a romantic movie?" asked Bart with a pain filled voice, for being much smaller than him; Lisa sure had a strong arm.

"Bart! Just promise me," said Lisa who was now getting very annoyed.

"Alright fine, I promise," said Bart.

"Pinkie swear," said Lisa as she held up her Pinkie.

"Sure Pinkie swear, now let go of me, my back is being jabbed by something unpleasant," said Bart.

Lisa let go of him with a shove making sure he felt the pain of whatever it was that had made him uncomfortable. Bart then stood there watching her walk back to Marge; he rubbed his sore back before following them back to the car. He hoped that Lisa was right but deep inside; he felt that there was something more.

* * *

A/N: Well there's your chapter and as you can see Bart is more concerned about this than Lisa and I have a great chapter later on that deals with Bart and his emotions. Also some of you probably noticed that I mentioned Marge's hazel eyes which were from the episode Little Orphan Millie where Homer tried to remember Marge's eye color, thought it would be fun to mention them again. I believe that's all I have to say for now, please review and let me know what you thought of the chapter and have a nice week. If you are all having spring break, enjoy it, I'm off to make more money at work, I'd rather go on a road trip but I guess it's better to have money for that. Well see you all later.


	6. Afternoon at the Park

It was a Sunday afternoon a few weeks later, the Leftorium was closed that day and Marge was sitting alone in the living room reading a good book after getting some cleaning done around the house. Bart had gone to be with Milhouse until later that evening and Lisa was busy doing homework. Marge did not mind the quietness though; she was happy to get caught up in her reading and not have to worry too much about dinner. Lisa and Maggie were both happy to just have a small salad; they had a nice big sandwich for lunch anyway.

Marge continued to stare into her book until she felt something touch her leg. Marge let out a surprised gasp and looked down to see Santa's Little Helper sitting at her feet and holding his leash and collar. It was rare for him to do such a thing, perhaps with the family being so quiet lately; he was confused and not sure what to do with himself.

"You want to go for a walk?" asked Marge.

Santa's Little Helper gave out a happy bark before running into the other room and returning with a tennis ball which he promptly put at Marge's feet.

"Fetch too?" she said.

Marge looked out the window, it would be another two hours before it got too dark and it looked like the day was still nice and inviting. She looked back down at Santa's Little Helper who gave another whine. Marge let out a sigh and decided that a nice walk would be a nice change of pace.

Quickly she picked up Maggie and put on her shoes while the dog paced back and forth between them, excited as he ever was to finally go out and run. Marge then put on her shoes before hooking the chain to the dog who then let out a happy bark. Marge asked Lisa if she wanted to join them but Lisa politely declined since she wanted to get her homework done sooner rather than later.

Marge then made her way down the sidewalk, Maggie in her stroller and her arm hooked to Santa's Little Helper's leash. It was easily said than done since Marge had one hand on the handle bar of Maggie's stroller. Marge tried her hardest to make the dog heal but he was very persistent, as if the field was going to disappear soon. Suddenly before she even knew it, Santa's Little Helper tugged forward quite heavily causing Marge to fall forward while still trying to hang on to the chain.

Marge landed on the hard pavement and let out a groan of pain before sitting up to assess the damages. Her hands were now stinging from scraping on the hard pavement; they were a little raw but nothing too serious. Her knees were also a little scraped but she was not going to act like a little kid and cry about it, there was no sense in that.

"You stupid dog!" said Marge as she got up while Santa's Little Helper sat nearby, his tongue hanging loose and his face forming a smile as if he did it on purpose.

"Santy Funny!" Maggie said as she clapped her hands.

Marge only groaned before continuing her way down the sidewalk but did not go far before Ned came running out of his house.

"Marge I saw you take a nasty spill down there, you okay?" he asked as he looked her up and down.

"I'm fine Ned, just some scraped palms and knees, I should be okay," said Marge as she showed Ned the damage done.

Ned inspected her hands and knee for a moment before responding to her. "Yup just a few little scrapes, you should be right as rain once I help you with the piqued pooch," said Ned as he quickly took Santa's Little Helper's leash and tugged at it a little bit. Santa's Little Helper moved closer as Ned pulled at him lightly before he was finally by Ned's side and not trying to run away.

"Did you ever own a dog?" asked Marge amazed at Ned's ability to get the dog to behave.

"No, I just watch the Dog Whisperer," said Ned with a grin.

Marge lifted her eyebrow as she gave her neighbor a surprised look; she didn't realize that Ned would actually watch a show like that. "Well thank you," she finally said after a long awkward pause.

"No trouble at all, now would you like an escort for your walkarooney?" asked Ned in his usual delighted attitude.

Marge looked down at Maggie and then at Santa's Little Helper, pulling a stroller and trying to hang onto a hyperactive dog would be difficult. "Why not, it's nice to talk to someone your age while walking. Maggie usually has nothing interesting to say," said Marge with a small giggle at the thought of Maggie in an adult conversation.

"Fan-diddly-astic!" said Ned as Marge began her way down the sidewalk. Ned was close behind, keeping a tight reign on the dog's leash.

"I think Santa's Little Helper just wants some attention right now, he hasn't gotten much in a while," said Marge.

"That tends to happen when there are problems in the house, you remember Solomon our cat don't you?" asked Ned.

"Yeah I remember we watched him when you and Maude had to go to that Christian thing in Capitol City," said Marge.

"Yup I remember that incident, that was such a fun weekend, but any way when Solomon was two years old, Maude's father was having really bad problems with his hip after he fell. We were in and out of the house a lot and poor Solomon never got enough attention, we always remembered to feed him but that was all we really did. So after everything calmed down, I remember one afternoon just sitting there reading a book and Solomon came over to lie beside me. I gave him a pat but he wasn't too happy about it and almost bit my finger off," said Ned.

"Oh my!" said Marge.

"Yeah it made me feel like a Christian stuck in Rome with an angry lion, had to get a few stitches for it but it taught me that sometimes cats need attention too. He did forgive me a few weeks later," said Ned.

"Whatever happened to him, I remember our first cat used to jump the fence to hang around with him," said Marge.

"Oh he had bad kidneys as he got older, he was fourteen though so he had a good life," said Ned.

Marge said nothing as they continued on their way, they were almost to the park any way and both could sense that Santa's Little Helper was getting anxious. He started to pull more, and the more Ned tried to get him to behave, the more he kept pulling.

They finally reached the park and Ned decided that it was safe to let the dog off the leash, sure enough Santa's Little Helper made a dash through the field before stopping half way and coming back to watch Marge put Maggie on the swings.

Santa's Little Helper watched as Maggie squealed with delight as she went higher up on the swings. After a while he started jumping up and down nearly getting hit by the swing and making Maggie laugh even more.

"Santy want a ride," said Maggie.

"No Santa can't ride with you, Ned can you throw the ball for him?" asked Marge as she passed the ball to Ned.

"Indeedy," said Ned who then brought Santa's Little Helper out to the field and was now getting excited at the fact that he was now going for a few quick runs.

Ned threw the ball as far as he could while Santa's Little Helper made a dash toward it. Of course Ned was not the greatest of throwers so by the time Santa's Little Helper became far away, the ball would land right beside him. It would bounce high in the air before Santa's Little Helper leapt up and caught it before it landed back on the grass. Santa's Little Helper would then run back and drop the ball at Ned's feet waiting for more.

While Ned threw the ball, Marge continued to swing Maggie who soon gave signs that she was getting bored.

"Can I slide now Mommy?" asked Maggie.

"Sure you can," said Marge as she slowed down the swings and let Maggie get off.

Maggie then ran toward the jungle gym and started to climb up, going over the bridge and heading toward the biggest slide that was there. Maggie loved the big slide, it was her favorite, Marge knew it was because it was big and that she could spend longer times on it.

Marge waited at the end as Maggie slid down, screaming at the top of her lungs before Marge grabbed her at the bottom.

"Uh oh looks like the evil slide monster got you," said Marge as she started to tickle Maggie.

"Mommy stop!" giggled Maggie as she tried to get out of her mothers grasp.

"Oh I'm not your mommy, I'm the slide monster," said Marge.

Maggie screamed before Marge finally set her down and let her go back up the slide. When Maggie reached the top, she looked down at Marge with a very annoyed look,

"The slide monster should go away now, I want to play by myself," said Maggie.

"Oh you don't want to be caught again?" asked Marge thinking that Maggie was just being silly.

"No, I want the slide monster to leave me alone," said Maggie in a matter of fact voice like most toddlers do when they want to play by themselves.

Marge knew that message well, Maggie liked being by herself from time to time and if she did not get her way, she would get a little grumpy. Marge decided that it was best to go ahead and check on Ned and the dog.

When she arrived she found that Santa's Little Helper was still as hyper as ever but he was slowing down a little.

"Having fun yet?" asked Marge.

"Oh yes, I love playing fetch with dogs, its fun to see how long it takes before they get all tuckered out," said Ned while he kept his eyes on the field and throwing the ball where he wanted it.

Marge watched as Santa's Little Helper made a leap for the ball and caught it without jumping too high before running back, tail wagging and ready for more. When he returned, he put the ball down at Marge's feet, wagging his tail and waiting for her to pick it up and throw it.

"I can't throw as far as Ned," said Marge.

"Don't worry about it, he's happy no matter what," said Ned.

Marge then threw it the best she could, it didn't go far and Santa's Little Helper did not expect that. Instead he went out to where Ned usually threw it and looked around trying to figure out where the big yellow ball was.

"It's over here boy," Marge yelled as she decided to make her way over to the ball to get the dog to see it. Santa's Little Helper soon realized where it was and went straight at it before bringing back to Marge and laying it at her feet again.

Marge picked it up and tossed it back and forth on he hands, trying to figure out if she could throw it far enough for him. Finally she got a fun little idea and threw the ball back to Ned.

"Monkey in the middle!" she said happily.

Ned quickly understood what Marge wanted and quickly tossed it back to her as Santa's Little Helper barked and jumped up and down. He then ran back to Marge as she threw it back to Ned, and then went after Ned as he threw it back to Marge. He did it several times with his tongue hanging out and with an excited whine. Both Ned and Marge laughed at the dog's antics and both truly enjoyed themselves for the first time in a very long time. It was a blessing to have the dog wanting attention. The game lasted for quite a while before Ned ended up holding the ball too long, and as he was just about to throw the ball, Santa's Little Helper leaped up onto Ned knocking him down onto the grass.

"Oh my gosh, Ned are you alright?" asked Marge once she realized that Ned was now on his back and the dog was on top of him licking his face.

"Right as rain Marge, I was just too slow for the little scamp," said Ned as he tried to push Santa's Little Helper's head away from his face so he could get up.

Marge quickly grabbed the dog by the collar, pushing him out of the way before helping Ned up. Once Ned was back on solid ground, he looked back at Marge and both began to giggle at their little game.

Up on a nearby ridge, Bart and Milhouse were hiding behind some bushes watching the scene unfold.

"Look at him, trying to win my moms affection," said Bart as he continued to glare.

"I don't know Bart, I think they are just trying to have fun," said Milhouse.

"Yeah, but did you see them look at each other a minute ago," said Bart.

"I did but we are pretty far up and we are probably seeing the wrong things," said Milhouse.

"Then give me your glasses, they work better long distance with me any way," said Bart as he grabbed Milhouse's glasses right off his nose.

Bart peered through the spectacles; he had used them many times before, spying on Lisa and other kids in the neighborhood. He watched as they made there way back to the playground where Maggie was playing. Both were laughing at Santa's Little Helper as he started digging near the edge of the playground and got his nose full of dirt.

But their laughter quickly turned to panic when they noticed that Maggie was not playing anywhere on the playground, in fact she was nowhere to be seen.

Bart could hear his mother call out to Maggie in a frantic voice. Hopefully she hadn't gotten far. Bart looked around as he still held onto Milhouse's glasses, hoping to see her from his vantage point. It didn't take him long to find her, she had actually made her way over to an area where wild flowers grew and now she was skipping her way along through the little field without much worry.

Bart then threw Milhouse's glasses back to him and ran down the hill to help his mom out.

"She's at that field over there Mom!" Bart yelled once he was in earshot and then made his way to Maggie. Marge and Ned were right behind him, glad that Bart was around to see what was going on.

They quickly found Maggie with a handful of flowers in her hand and singing to herself as if nothing was going on. Marge ran forward and grabbed Maggie in her arms. Maggie of course showed no concern but continued to arrange the flowers in her hand.

"You should never run off like that Maggie, you worried us," said Marge once she calmed down a bit. Maggie looked up at Marge with a sheepish smile, she had only planned on running away for a few minutes but of course a minute to a toddler could be much longer than that.

"Sorry Mommy but I saw the flowers from the top of the slide and I thought that Daddy would like some," said Maggie as she showed off the pretty flowers in her hand.

Marge's eyes turned all misty at what Maggie had said, she didn't realize that going to the cemetery every other weekend to add flowers to Homer's grave would cause Maggie to want to get him some.

"And they are beautiful honey," said Marge as she hugged Maggie while a single tear fell down her cheek.

"Can we go now and give them to him?" asked Maggie.

Marge looked over at Ned and then at Bart who gave his mother a concerned smile, they had never been to the cemetery this late in the day, perhaps it would be a nice change of pace.

"Barty can help me," said Maggie hoping that she was convincing enough.

"Yes Barty can help you thanks to him hanging out here with Milhouse," said Marge who gave her son a satisfied look. Bart only smiled back while Milhouse suddenly appeared looking quite winded from trying to catch up to his very fast friend.

"Let's head back, I can drive you there," said Ned as he put his arm around her shoulder. Bart gave him an icy stare that Ned failed to notice, but Milhouse did and he gave his friend a concerned look.

"He's just being nice," said Milhouse.

"Whatever, I've seen your mothers boyfriends do that to her," said Bart as they walked farther behind Ned and Marge.

"But that's because my mom wanted a boyfriend, I think this is just friendship," said Milhouse hoping that Bart would understand.

"Sure its friendship now but watch, soon it will turn to love and then Mom will forget Dad ever existed like with your Dad," said Bart.

"But that's because Mom didn't like him any more and he's still alive," said Milhouse who now sounded very frustrated with Bart.

Bart only rolled his eyes and ran ahead to catch up with Ned and Marge, Milhouse knew that Bart was still holding his emotions in and he could sense that Bart did not want to get into any more of that discussion at the moment. That was fine with him though, he knew that Bart would figure out friendship one day. As Bart caught up, he found Maggie sitting in her stroller arranging the flowers in a way that she saw fit; it was so easy for her to deal with all the emotions that were going on. It almost made him wish he was still a baby. Bart then turned to Santa's Little Helper; he was now walking slowly, tongue hanging out, the run really made him tired.

They arrived home at just the right time to find that Lisa had finished her homework and was sitting in the living room waiting for them. Marge asked Maggie to go in and persuade Lisa to come and without a second thought, Maggie ran into the house and ran toward Lisa, the handful of flowers still clutched in her hand.

"Lisa! Lisa! Aren't these flowers pretty!" she yelled as she ran toward her big sister.

Lisa stared at the little bouquet of purples, yellows, and reds along with a few clovers that seemed to accent it well.

"Awww they're beautiful Maggie, are they for me?" asked Lisa as she was about to take them from Maggie but Maggie quickly pulled them away.

"No, they're for Daddy, you want to come help me bring them to him?" asked Maggie.

Lisa looked back at Maggie, and just like Marge, she was surprised that Maggie wanted to do such a thing; she then gave Maggie a warm smile.

"I would love to," she finally said.

Ned then drove the family to the cemetery where Maggie was the first to get out, dragging Bart along with her. Bart of course was in no hurry to go near the grave but he knew that Maggie was still young and she still did not understand death properly.

When they reached the tombstone, Maggie stopped in front of it and looked around for a good place to set the flowers. She stood there for a moment pondering the idea before turning back to Bart with a frustrated face.

"They can't stand up," she said.

"Sure they can, these flowers right here would like to have some new friends," said Bart as he pushed some of the flowers they bought a week ago aside a little so the new flowers could fit in the little stand and could be seen by others.

Maggie then looked up at Bart before giving him a big hug. "So when will Daddy pick them up?" asked Maggie.

Bart stared back at Maggie, unable to answer such a difficult question. Lisa arrived just in time to hear the question too and knew she had to explain it to Maggie in the best way she could to a little three year old. Quietly she bent down to her sister's level ready to explain until Maggie had to ask another question once she noticed the sadness in Lisa and Bart's face.

"Why did Daddy leave, he made you all sad, didn't he know you would be sad?" asked Maggie

Lisa looked away from Maggie's eyes for a moment trying not to cry in front of her, not yet any way.

"Yes he did know that Maggie, but you remember how sick he was right?" asked Lisa.

"Yeah, he was in bed a lot," said Maggie as she looked down at the ground in a dejected voice.

"Well he left because he was sick," said Lisa.

"Is he ever coming back?" asked Maggie.

Lisa looked up at Bart and then turned to Marge who had her hand clutched to her chest while Ned put his arm around her shoulder just in case Marge needed a shoulder to cry on.

"Will I ever see him again?" asked Maggie who was now looking very confused and distraught.

"You'll see him again Maggie, but not for a very long time," said Lisa.

"Will it be when I turn five?" asked Maggie as she held up her hand, then stared at it for a moment when she noticed that there were only four fingers on her hand. She then lifted one more finger on her other hand to complete the number.

There was a long pause; Lisa was unsure how to explain it to a three year old, death was hard to interpret especially to someone who was too young to understand.

"Longer than that," said Lisa.

"Oh," said Maggie as she looked down at the ground and then at the lonely tombstone.

"So when I see him again, will this be the spot?" asked Maggie.

"Perhaps," said Lisa deciding that it would be best to humor her with that answer.

"Where did he go any way?" asked Maggie.

Lisa knew this question would come up and bite her sooner or later and truthfully it was a lot better than answering what had exactly happened to him. But how could she explain it?

"He went to a place called Heaven," Ned suddenly said as he bent down beside Lisa hoping to help her out.

"Oh like in All Dogs Go to Heaven? …But Daddy's not a doggy," said Maggie in a confused voice after thinking about it for a moment.

Lisa had to chuckle at that statement. "Yes Dad is not a doggy but we can go to heaven too, it's just in a different part that is reserved for us," said Lisa.

"So why couldn't we go to Heaven with Daddy?" asked Maggie.

Lisa let out a sigh as she tried to come up with the best excuse for her to understand, Ned watched her knowing that she needed to learn how to talk to her sister.

"Because you don't choose to go to Heaven, you see when a doctor can't fix you when you are sick, you go there and get better," said Lisa.

"Oh so I don't go there unless I am sick?" asked Maggie.

"Unless you are _very_ sick," said Lisa.

"Can't we visit him?" asked Maggie.

"It would be nice Maggie but it's very hard to get there no matter how hard you try," said Lisa.

Maggie then let out a sigh, Marge could tell that she was still a little frustrated with what they had been telling her but sooner or later she would get it, just not right away.

"We can talk more if you like in the car, the sun is setting and it's getting dark out here," said Marge as she stood back up.

"Okay," said Maggie who then grabbed her mothers hand and followed her to the car. Bart and Lisa stayed where they stood watching them go.

"I'm glad you came Lis, I wouldn't have known what to tell her," said Bart.

"Yeah it was hard though, but one day she will get it, you just have to be patient and answer all the questions she has," said Lisa.

Bart nodded and followed Lisa back to the car where they headed back home, away from the dreary and lonely cemetery.

* * *

A/N: Okay yeah uhhh, the part with Maggie came to me at the last minute, I felt I needed to show how she was thinking about the whole thing, I actually enjoyed writing it, I apologize to anyone who has had enough of the sadness for right now. But don't worry the next few chapters are not sad. They're a little more fun. But any way in case you are all wondering about Ned mentioning Solomon his cat, I actually came up with him in a story that has since been on hiatus for a very long time, its called I Had a Cat Named Snowball and Solomon is in it as the first Snowball's little friend. So if any of you are interested, feel free to check it out, its not the best story in the world, that's why it hasn't been updated in a while, I just got bored with it.

Also some important news and no this is not an April Fools joke, it's been about two months now since I updated my Tales From Beyond the Pridelands story over at the Lion King section and I promised my loyal readers over there that I would update every two months. So I will be missing from here for a few weeks, I do have some papers for classes that I need to deal with as well so it might be a few weeks before the next chapter is up. I apologize for this but I promise I will return with more in due time. You are all welcome to hang out at the Lion King section; there are some great stories over there. Any way sorry for rambling and sorry for the upcoming delay. Hope you all have a nice few weeks and please review whenever you can.


	7. Mischief Makers

A/N: Okay first off I am going to do something different and dedicate this story to Velvet Starlight because He/she (Sorry I have no idea if you are a guy or a girl, your most likely a girl though hence the name but I want to make sure and not look too stupid) made a suggestion that he/she hoped that Mr. Burns would make another appearance. For about a week I kept saying to myself "I don't think it can work since I have the whole story planned out already and I don't think I can fit him in anywhere." Until one evening I finally figured out what to do. I said to myself "This story does need a little bit of fun in it so why not." So this chapter came about thanks you Velvet Starlight. I hope you enjoy it and if you don't you are in so much trouble.

* * *

Two months had gone by, and Wednesday was a favorite for Bart, Lisa, Rod and Tod. Ned would usually pick them up from school after running errands all day and he would take them over to the mall so Bart and Lisa could pick up Maggie since Marge worked late. Ned did try to take Maggie on his errands but carrying a toddler and a few packages to the car proved a little too difficult and Maggie was better off with Marge for a few hours. On other days when Marge worked for Ned, Ned would watch Maggie for the day or if it was a Saturday, Bart and Lisa.

Since Bart was the man of the house, he usually helped Marge with random things around the house. One of the biggest chores he did, occasionally with Lisa helping, was clean out the garage of the mess that Homer made. It took him three weekends, removing whatever he could from the garage that was no longer needed or was actually Ned's in the first place. Homer's car had actually been given to Grampa who was more than happy to take it off their hands so he could drive around when he needed to until Bart became sixteen.

Bart was given a nice allowance for helping around the house and being the sweet brother that he was, he would first treat Lisa, Rod, and Todd to an ice cream cone before picking up Maggie while Ned waited in the car. He felt they all deserved it for making it halfway through the week in school.

It was one particular Wednesday afternoon when they were making their way to the food court when Bart suddenly stopped in his tracks causing Todd to run right into him.

"Ow, Bart the ice cream shop is right there, you should know that by now," said Todd as he rubbed his nose.

Bart continued to stare straight ahead for a moment, at first everyone thought something bad had happened until Lisa noticed that he wasn't just staring at something, he was glaring.

"What is it Bart?" asked Lisa.

"Look who's having a normal lunch over there," said Bart with an angry sound to his voice as he pointed to a lonely set of tables that no one really sat in.

The group looked to where he was pointing, and there sitting at a booth enjoying a slice of pizza was Mr. Burns and Smithers.

"I bet he's too poor now to afford deviled ham," said Rod.

"I can't even believe he even bothered to come here, who does he think he is, doesn't he know that someone like me would be willing to get some revenge on him," said Bart.

"Oh Bart, you're not really gonna hurt him are you?" asked Lisa a little worried with the idea of her brother hurting a guy who most likely learned his lesson about plant safety.

"I'm not gonna hurt him Lis, just annoy him," said Bart.

"Bart!" said Lisa a little annoyed by the idea but also knowing better than to argue with her brother.

"No I got a great idea, stay there and I'll be right back," said Bart.

The kids watched as Bart slowly made his way over to where Burns and Smithers were enjoying some time alone. While he did so, Nelson, who had been busy swiping sugar packets from the coffee shop, came over to see what everyone was watching.

"So what are you nerds up to?" asked Nelson.

"Bart's going to give Burns his comeuppance," said Rod.

"Yeah I don't know what he is going to do but I hope it's harmless," said Lisa.

Nelson gave Lisa a "you gotta be kidding me" look before deciding that it would be fun to help Bart out in whatever he was planning. He had known about the incident at the power plant and even though he did not loose anyone special, he still agreed with everyone that Burns was the biggest bastard in the whole town.

Nelson soon caught up with Bart who was now hiding behind a plant and at first Bart did not see him come up from behind him until Nelson gave him a light tap. Bart jumped up and stared at Nelson nervously.

"Whatever it is the answer is no," said Bart knowing how Nelson liked to swipe things from him.

"Hey I don't want your money right now, I just want to help you out, I've always wanted to pound Burns for something," said Nelson as he punched his fist.

"Oh you wanna help me, that's fine then," said Bart who didn't really act that interested as he continued to watch Burns and Smithers, he had a plan but he wanted to be sneaky.

"What is your plan any way?" asked Nelson.

"I plan on tying their shoelaces together and then once I take care of that I will hit them with my little marbles with my slingshot and when they try to go after me they will trip and fall," said Bart with a grin.

Nelson stared back at Bart, he liked the idea but he also knew that just one person could not handle it without any help. He then slapped Bart on the back of the head to prove his point.

"And you were gonna do it by yourself? They would notice you down there, boy am I glad I came over. How about this, you go up to Burns and ask him a question that will make him go out on a rant, then I'll sneak in and tie their shoelaces together," said Nelson.

Bart stared back at Nelson while rubbing the back of his head and picturing how it would all work before finally responding. "Yeah that does sound like a plan," he said.

A minute later, Bart walked out from where he was hiding and made his way over to Mr. Burns. As he got closer, the anger forming in him began to grow but he knew he had to remain calm and not ruin his perfect plan.

Mr. Burns was still trying to eat his pizza, cutting it up into little pieces while Smithers watched as he ate some pasta salad.

"I still do not understand why kids find this food hip," said Mr. Burns as he tried to cut up the rubbery pizza.

"Another mystery in life sir," said Smithers.

"Excuse me," said Bart as he approached.

Mr. Burns stopped cutting his rubbery pizza and looked up at Bart. Once he noticed that he was a kid his face lit up.

"Oh good Smithers, a child has come to explain why rubbery pizza's are so good, tell me young man, why do you eat them?" asked Mr. Burns.

Bart had not expected Mr. Burns to respond to him like this, he guessed it was a good thing though since now he could buy more time.

"Uh well its fast and its fun, plus the cheese and tomato sauce stays right where you need it, not all over yourself like spaghetti or ravioli's," said Bart trying to sound like he was interested in the subject.

"Oh I see, but what about those college students, I've heard they even eat them for breakfast, what are they thinking?" asked Burns.

"I really don't know, I'm only twelve and I don't go to college," said Bart.

"Oh you must know, I bet that is the reason why you came over here," said Burns.

"Actually Sir, I was coming over here to ask…." Bart stopped right there, he hadn't thought about what to ask and his mind was racing.

"_How about what he thought about last nights American Idol_.  
No that's stupid; why not ask him for more money.  
Oh that's even worse; he'll run you out of there before Nelson can tie the shoes together.  
_Ask him how he feels about cancer.  
_No that's just too obvious  
_Ask him about Nuclear power.  
_No that would take forever with him.  
_Ask him how old he is.  
_No that will just confuse and upset him.  
_Ask him if Smithers is gay.  
_Oh we already know that answer.  
_Ask him if he has a facebook, then later give him a virus.  
_Silly brain, old people don't have facebook."

"Well son what is the question?" asked Burns when Bart realized that he was taking forever coming up with a question.

"Uhhhhh….. have you ever been called Chuck?" asked Bart remembering that Mr. Burns' first name was not Montgomery but Charles.

"What kind of…." began Smithers looking quite annoyed that a young child would ask an older person about their first name.

"No no Smithers, it's a name I rarely use, not after she ran out of my life sixty years ago," said Burns who gave both Smithers and Bart a longing look. Smithers only scowled at the fact that Mr. Burns even had someone to love.

"You had a girlfriend?" asked Bart.

"Of course, I haven't always been a bachelor, there was a time in my high school years when I was top of the class and the girls were all over me. But there was one lovely lady in particular who really liked me and called me Chuck and occasionally Chuckie," said Burns as he went back down memory lane. Bart tried his hardest not to laugh at the remark.

"Oh but that was so long ago, she broke my heart when she ran off with someone from either Austria or Australia I can never remember any more, he had a weird accent that's all I know. So from that day on I vowed never to let anyone call me Chuck, not even you," said Mr. Burns who made sure Bart heard the you part by poking him on his round stomach.

Bart grumbled at him and then looked up to see Nelson giving him the thumbs up behind a nearby plant. Bart quickly gave Mr. Burns an annoyed goodbye and ran toward Nelson who was chuckling to himself quietly.

"So they didn't notice?" asked Bart.

"Nope, tied them both nice and tightly together, you have an extra slingshot?" asked Nelson.

"In my backpack," said Bart as he led Nelson over to where Lisa, Rod and Todd were sitting down and waiting patiently.

Bart quickly grabbed his slingshot out of the backpack and handed it to Nelson who tested it out first before deciding to make his move.

"Looks like this ones been broken into well, it should work great from far away," said Nelson.

"Where you gonna shoot it from?" asked Bart.

Nelson looked around for a moment, scanning the food court for a good post that he could easily hide from and not be seen while he annoyed Mr. Burns. He quickly found a place that was between two trees and not too high up so that he could get down easily if he wanted to.

"That's where I'll be, and I think you would go great over there," said Nelson who pointed at another place that was not too high up and covered by a few bushes. Bart gave the thumbs up and made his way over.

When Bart reached the spot and waved to Nelson letting him know that he was ready whenever he was. A second later he saw a marble shoot down toward Mr. Burns, hitting him squarely on the palm of his hand. Bart watched as Mr. Burns let out a yowl of pain while Smither's jumped up with concern.

Bart chuckled to himself and aimed his slingshot at Mr. Burns. He hit him squarely on the head, almost knocking him out as he let out another surprised yelp.

"Who in the world is doing that?" growled Smithers as he looked around only to be hit squarely in the chest by Nelson.

Bart again hit Burns in the back who let out another surprise yelp before he tipped over the table sending what was left of his slice of pizza flying into Smithers face. Smithers let out an annoyed growl as he peeled the rubbery pizza off his face and looked in the direction to where the attacks where coming from.

"Hey rainbow boy, what do you think of this?" Nelson proclaimed as he dropped his pants and wagged his bare butt at them. Bart watched from behind his bushes and laughed before calling to Smithers himself and showing off the bare essentials.

"You little brats better watch it," said Smithers who then moved forward to go after Nelson who quickly put his pants up and began to climb down from his fort so he could start running away with Bart who was doing the same thing.

They didn't have to run too fast though because just as soon as Smithers ran after them, Burns was not too far behind being dragged along by Smithers. Their shoelaces tied together very tightly and their was no way Burns could get out of this unless he pulled his shoes off or yelled at Smithers for running. Burns of course decided that yelling was more important.

"Smithers, stop, your laces are mixed up with mine!" cried Burns as he flailed his arms wildly through the food court.

It took Smithers a moment to realize what was going on but when he heard Mr. Burns call out to him again, he stopped and turned around to find Burns tied to his laces. He let out a gasp of surprise and made his way back to Burns to assess the damage.

"Oh no I killed you didn't I?" asked Smithers in his usual pitiful whine. Mr. Burns was now lying on the ground, his hands in the air like a sick dog and his hair all mismatched in different ways. He looked as if he had been running with the bulls.

"No but once I get the feeling back in my legs I am going to make sure you get what's coming to you," said Mr. Burns in a very angry voice.

Smithers let out a moan of annoyance; he knew it was probably another new task that was either useless or gross. Whatever it was, he really was not in the mood for it right now.

Bart and Nelson laughed from their little hidden corner, glad to see that their plan had worked so well.

"Thanks for the help there Nelson." Said Bart as he high fived the bully.

"Yeah that was awesome when he skidded across that floor like that," said Nelson as he wiped a tear from his eye because he was laughing so hard.

The two continued to watch as Smithers tried to help Mr. Burns up, he seemed very sore now from being dragged around but both didn't care, he ruined quite a few lives and they believed he deserved what he got. The lady security guard who had seen the incident unfold didn't think so though and quickly grabbed both Bart and Nelson by the arm before they even saw her coming.

"Trouble makers eh? Well we have rules about trouble makers like you," said the security guard who then started dragging them by their shirt cuffs to the security office.

Bart and Nelson only looked at each other with worried faces, wondering how they would get out of this mess and what Marge would think.

* * *

A/N: Yeah sorry for the long wait, I got bombarded with school work and then it took me forever to actually get started on my lion king story, I think I am too addicted to this story to write anything else and I am quite glad, usually that means I won't get sick of it before it ends, hopefully not anyway. Hope you enjoyed that, this needed a little silliness and it will hopefully stay that way for the next chapter. Not sure when it will be up though, finals are coming and so far I have two classes that are making me do big group projects and you know how those go. You have to meet your partners and do all this crazy stuff, so please be patient with me for the next few weeks. Once school is over though, this story will be updated a lot more. Oh and if you are interested, feel free to head on over to my Deviant art page, its linked in my profile. I got that really cool Simpson's handbook at Barnes and Noble for only ten dollars. I'm hoping to draw some scenes or just random stuff with the family. There are a few random things already on the main page and in my scrapbook page.

And I would like to ask one more thing from you guys. I have a friend at work who is currently recovering from bladder cancer. He had to get a new bladder and everything from it and because of that his body currently hates him and he's had a few complications where he has to go back to the hospital to see what his body is mad about now. So please keep him in your prayers, he's been at home since January recovering and I can tell he is getting a little frustrated with the long recovery, he likes to call us at work when we are busy and strike up a conversation and he also sends me and other friends really random things on facebook, like fab gay gifts. Yeah he's goofy. But yeah pray that his recovery speeds up, it's kind of boring at work without him.

Well I will stop blabbing and let you all review, hope you all have a nice week and see you whenever I can.


	8. One of Those Days

* * *

Bart and Nelson sat in front of the desk of the malls head security officer. His name was Dale and he was a big buff guy who looked as if he could tear both Bart and Nelson with his bare hands if he wanted to. Both Bart and Nelson looked back at him worriedly, hoping that they would not get into too much trouble. Dale said nothing for a long time, only stared back at them with an icy glare making both the kids feel very uncomfortable. Finally after what seemed like hours, Dale spoke.

"So you two like causing trouble for old men?" he asked in a big gruff voice.

"N-No sir, just to him," said Nelson trying to sound as brave as possible.

"Any reason why?" asked Dale as he got up and peeked through the blinds of his front door to see if the lady security guard had returned with Smithers and Mr. Burns once they had retrieved Marge and with any luck Nelson's mother.

The boys did not respond, they would rather say it in front of Mr. Burns than this man just to show Dale how Burns would not even look concerned.

"Well?" asked Dale after a long pause.

"Because he deserved it," said Bart.

"Not a good answer kid, you look like you have some sort of motive, I can sense it, I have a sixth sense of that you know," said Dale who looked Bart in the eyes making him nervous again.

Bart gave a heavy and scared swallow before he spoke as honest and as brave as he could. "Well remember when the nuclear power plant exploded?"

"Of course I do, how can you not forget such a tragedy like that," said Dale.

"Well…" began Bart but quickly stopped when the lady security guard opened the door and motioned for Mr. Burns, Smithers and Marge to come in. Apparently Nelson's mother could not be found, there was really no surprise there though. Mr. Burns was now sporting a limp and looking quite frazzled from the incident, Smithers instantly gave them the cold, icy stare as soon as he saw the boys, and Marge well let's just say she was more embarrassed than angry at the moment.

"Oh Mr. Burns, sorry this had to happen, so far what I've gotten out of them is that you deserved what happened to you, they haven't explained why yet," said Dale his gruff voice never changing.

"It better be a good explanation, I have plans that need to be rescheduled now," said Burns, while at the same time Smithers rolled his eyes. Bart sensed that Smithers was involved in most of it.

"My dad worked for you, and he lost his life because of you," said Bart not taking his eyes off Mr. Burns; unlike Dale, he was not going to be shy talking to this man.

"Oh all because of that eh, who was your father?" asked Mr. Burns who was obviously showing no sympathy, he had lost a lot of money because of the incident and whenever he could, he tried to forget about it. This boy was not helping.

"Homer Simpson," said Bart.

"Simpson eh, name doesn't ring a bell, how long had he been working for us?" asked Burns to Smithers.

"Quite a while actually sir, a lot of the things that happened to you revolved around him in some way, his youngest daughter shot you, you actually tried to make this boy here your heir, we actually went with Mr. Simpson to Cuba after you stole that trillion dollar bill, and he was the reason for the dome over the town that one time," said Smithers.

"Oh yes I remember those incidents now, I guess he got what was coming to him then," said Mr. Burns without missing a beat.

Bart could not believe what he had just said, even Nelson looked appalled. Bart was about to interrogate him further when Marge stepped in front of him.

"Mr. Burns I am really sorry about all this, I will talk to him about what he did and I will make sure he learns that revenge is not a good thing," said Marge who seemed just as mad but was keeping it in really well.

"You better because if he does another stunt like that I will find a way to make you pay me back for everything I gave you. Hospital bills and the check after he died," said Mr. Burns in the most hate filled tone possible. Bart could tell that he wanted his money back even if he had to go to court for it if the situation called for it.

"I will speak to him," said Marge her voice now rising and she herself about ready to murder the man, thank goodness for security in front of her.

"And Bart, I know you did it out of revenge but you do need to apologize to Mr. Burns, that's the only reason why he is in here," said Dale in a voice that was in a much nicer tone and not as intimidating. He now seemed to show pity for Bart and his mother.

Bart stared back at Dale; he could not believe the buff and tough looking officer wanted him to apologize even after what Burns had just said about his own father and about the money. He knew though that if he did not, then Burns would probably sue them and Marge would be worse off than she was now. He looked over at Nelson who gave his friend a concerned smile, Nelson knew that fighting back would not help and he knew to keep his mouth shut. Finally Bart got it over with.

"I'm sorry," said Bart in his fake sincere voice that he sometimes used on Marge. He had gotten so good at it, Marge never knew the difference.

"Good and now you," said Dale as he nodded to Nelson.

"Sorry sir," said Nelson before rolling his eyes. No one actually noticed though.

Mr. Burns only nodded before being escorted out of the room by the lady security officer. They all watched him go before Marge turned back to Bart and gave him a very annoyed an angry look. Bart gave her a sheepish grin and was about to say something when Dale interrupted them.

"I've had to deal with some bastards in my time but that was ridiculous."

Bart followed Marge back the Leftorium, Nelson beside him not saying a word and looking very guilty about the whole situation. He would have stayed with the security guards until his own mother arrived to pick him up but Marge knew that he would have been stuck there forever, it was better to claim him and become a guardian for a little while.

Bart stared down at the floor looking very guilty, he knew Marge would give him a lecture about what had gone on, he just had no idea when, either way he was not in the mood for it. They soon arrived at the Leftorium where Ned was waiting for Marge to return while Lisa, Rod and Todd played a little ball game with Maggie. Ned looked up from what he was doing and gave Marge a concerned look before turning to Bart, Bart only sneered at him.

"I've never been so embarrassed in all my life," said Marge as she made her way over to the cash register ready to return to her duty.

"Anything I can do for you?" asked Ned who moved out of the way, too afraid to get in front of her angry side.

"Just take them home, once I've calmed down I can give Bart a softer lecture," said Marge who stared back at Bart in a way only a mother would when her child was not being in the best behavior.

"Come on kids, I bet you are all hungry for some dinner, I planned a really good meal tonight my own tick tock teri-diddly-aki chicken," said Ned hoping to lift everyone's spirits.

"We still need to stop at the ice cream store though," said Bart as he made his way out of the store with his arm around Nelson as a way to show they were buddies, Marge of course heard this.

"Ned don't you dare let him get any ice cream, he has been punished since we left the security office and he is not getting away with a lecture tonight," said Marge in a very angry voice.

Ned looked down at Bart who looked up at him nervously. "We have to listen to your mom," he said as he started walking away.

Bart grumbled under his breath while Lisa walked beside him looking concerned and wondering what went on with Mr. Burns.

"I deserve an ice cream after what went on in there, in fact we all do," said Bart with anger in his voice.

"What did he do?" asked Lisa.

"It's not what he did, it's more of what he said, and…….ooooooh I hope he dies a horrible death," said Bart as he made his way toward the ice cream store, not caring what anyone said.

"Bart, Mom said no," said Lisa, she tried to keep it down but Ned still heard her.

"Bart, your mother said no ice cream," said Ned.

"Yeah but she's not here," said Bart with a sly smile as he made his way closer.

"Bart get back here this minute," said Ned as he pointed to the ground and stamped his foot.

"Hell no, you're not my father," said Bart while at the same time Nelson was joining him in his bad behavior escapades.

"I may not be your father, but I am personally responsible for you for as long as your mother lets me, now get your keister back here or I will drag you back to the car myself," said Ned.

I'd like to see you try," said Bart with a sly smile as he made his way closer.

In all his years of being a father, Ned never had to put up with any of this. Rod and Todd were good kids who respected their elders and never back talked. Bart here was a different story, yet both Lisa and Maggie were well behaved, it made him wonder what had happened to have such a rascal of a kid. As calmly as he could, Ned made his way over to Bart who was now ordering for his favorite ice cream with sprinkles.

"Don't give him any thing, its almost time for his dinner," said Ned who then grabbed Bart by the arm and pulled him aside away from as many people as possible.

"Let go of me!" said Bart as he tried to get out of Ned's grasp.

"Bart listen to me, I know I am not your father but you still need to learn to behave and listen to your elders. I'm here to help your mom out, I know its rough and I can sense you want to be the leader of everything but a twelve year old can't run everything," said Ned.

Bart only stared back, he had heard enough from Mr. Burns today to get extremely angry and he was not fond of seeing Ned around so much. He had been spying as much as he could lately and he never liked what he saw, usually he saw Ned hugging Marge or sneaking up behind her and tickling her, boy did that burst his bubble. Marge too seemed to show affection around Ned especially when he would make an appearance. She would give him that smile she used to give Homer when she was proud of him for something. What was worse too was that she was always so happy after she left Ned; to Bart it seemed as if they had been up to something and that Ned was trying to make Marge forget about the wonderful life she had with Homer. It made him angry, he tried not to show it in front of Marge but sometimes she would notice. Bart of course found ways to act like nothing was bothering him.

"Whatever," said Bart as he rolled his eyes.

Ned let out a sigh one that showed frustration and it made him sound tired.

"Bart I am just trying to help," he said again making sure that Bart understood.

"You love my mom don't you," Bart suddenly blurted out, he was angry and his mouth was faster than his thoughts.

"Of course I do, for the Lord even says to love thy neighbor," said Ned.

"No Flanders, leave God out of this, do you love her?" asked Bart knowing he should have kept his mouth shut but also wanted a straight answer out of this situation that had been bugging him for two months.

Ned stared back at Bart; he was surprised Bart was asking such an unusual question. There must have been a lot going through his mind at the moment.

"But that's the only way I can tell you Bart, I love her because that is what a neighbor should do," he finally said.

Bart only let out a sigh and looked down at the ground. Arguing was not going to solve this at the moment especially when the guy you were arguing with had more experience. Finally, after a long moment of silence and his head held low, Bart walked away from Ned to join his sisters. "Let's just go home and have that sucky teriyaki chicken," he said

Ned watched him walk toward Lisa and the others for a moment. Bart was really holding his emotions in and he knew that someday soon the dam would burst, he knew he did not want to be in the middle of it, but how would Marge handle it, would they both cry together or would Bart hide in his room and not ask for any help? Seeking someone for comfort was the most important thing, it helped Marge so much, but would she be able to help Bart in his hour of need? He hoped that she could, and like always, he was there if she needed his help. Ned sighed and then turned to Nelson who was standing nearby wondering what was going on now.

"You want to come with us and have a nice warm dinner?" asked Ned.

"Nah, I got some spaghetti in a can at home," said Nelson as he started to walk away. Ned only shrugged and joined the kids on the way to the car.

* * *

"What are you thinking about Barty?" asked Maggie while Bart was sitting in Ned's living room watching her solve a puzzle while Lisa, Rod and Todd did homework in the kitchen. Apparently he was not watching very closely because Maggie noticed. Bart stared at her as he came back to reality and then let out a sigh.

"Oh nothing really," Bart finally said.

"Is it about Daddy?" asked Maggie knowing how Lisa was known to sit by herself in the living room and fiddle with her saxophone.

"Yeah I guess so," said Bart as he moved a puzzle piece over to Maggie to put in the correct spot.

"You want to see him?" asked Maggie not taking her eyes off the puzzle as she connected them together.

"I would like to," said Bart.

"Don't worry Barty, Lisa said that we will see him again, heaven just had to fix him," said Maggie.

Bart only gave a sad smile to his sister; it made him wish he was that hopeful about things, if only it were true that his father would come home soon and embrace them in the biggest hug they could muster. He missed hearing his father's loud comments and his ability to play silly games with him even though they were annoying or just plain disgusting in Marge and Lisa's eyes. He just wanted to turn back time and see Homer healthy again, doing what he did to Mr. Burns today did not help his emotions, they seemed to have made them worse.

"You know what Mommy told me today?" asked Maggie after a long silence.

"What did she tell you?" asked Bart hoping it was something happier.

"She told me that those bunnies across from us at the pet store get really big, that's why we can't buy them," said Maggie in a whispering tone as if it should be a secret.

"Really?! How big?" asked Bart deciding that it would be fun to humor her for a while and make him feel a bit better.

"Mommy said they could get even bigger than Santy, and Santy is big," said Maggie as she raised her arms as high as she could to explain Santa's Little Helper's height.

"Oh yes that is true," said Bart.

"But how come I never see any big bunnies?" asked Maggie.

Bart had to think about this one for a moment; Maggie sure knew how to find loopholes. "Well uh……it's because when they get too big, the families send them to Siberia," said Bart.

"Oh…….is it just like heaven but only this time the doctors make them smaller?" asked Maggie.

"Sure, why not," said Bart with a smile. He liked this conversation, it was more fun and happy plus it was making him feel better.

"I wonder what happens to people when a bunny steps on them," said Maggie with a thoughtful look in her eyes.

Bart was about to respond when Ned called them to the table for dinner, Maggie ran over as fast as she could while Bart trailed behind. The bunny conversation was fun but he still felt empty inside, he hoped it was just one of those days and that he would feel better in the morning. He didn't want to cry, he wanted to remain strong for his mother and sisters. He believed that crying was what girls did and that others would see him as a sissy if he showed his emotions in front of them. He didn't even show it in front of Homer when they had a man to man talk. He wanted to show his father that he was brave and that he was rooting for him and hoping he would bounce back to his old self. Bart sighed at that thought, if only that happened.

Dinner was mostly spent in silence that evening until the very end when the doorbell rang. Maggie of course jumped right out of her seat because she knew that it was Marge coming home to pick them up. Maggie ran to the door with Ned right behind her just to make sure it wasn't anyone else once she had opened it.

"Do you have resavations?" asked Maggie still having trouble with big words.

Marge gave Maggie a warm smile before looking up at Ned, she did seem happier after the incident that afternoon and Ned noticed.

"You seem happier tonight," said Ned as Lisa and Bart made their way over.

"Oh yes I am and I have a reason for that," said Marge happily.

"What is it?" asked Ned hoping it was some good news about the Leftorium getting good business or even Marge getting another big check from the power plant even after today's fiasco.

Marge looked at the kids, both were listening intently on what Marge had to say, she could probably say it in front of them, but then again she would rather not be pestered by them for the next week.

"Kids, go on home and get ready for bed, I just want to ask Mr. Flanders a question and I will be over in a few minutes," she said.

Lisa took Maggie by the hand and led her out the door with Bart following, for a moment he sensed that Marge was not going to give him a lecture but that quickly changed.

"And Bart, we still need to have a talk about what happened today so don't think you are getting away easily," said Marge.

"D'oh!" exclaimed Bart before he disappeared behind the fence and into the house.

"So what's on that meddlin' mind tonight Marge?" asked Ned once the kids were out of view.

"This really nice man came in tonight and gave me two free coupons for this really nice restaurant on the pier called the Italian Bistro," said Marge as she showed them to Ned.

"Oh what a nice man he was, too bad he didn't give you four, then you and the kids would eat for free," said Ned.

Marge let out a nervous sigh and then began to play with her hair, something she had been doing a lot lately now that her hair was down and especially when she wanted to ask something that she normally would not ask.

"Actually Ned I was wondering if you wanted to go with me, sort of a thank you dinner for helping me these past months, get our mind off our troubles," she said with a nervous grin.

Ned thought for a moment, going out to dinner did sound nice, he hadn't done that in a while and the last time he did so was with Rod and Todd. Going out with someone around his age did sound like a nice change of pace.

"You know that sounds like a great humdinger, when do you want to go?" asked Ned.

"How about next Friday at six right after you get home from work," said Marge.

"Perfectarooney," said Ned with a grin while Marge smiled back before making her way back home to the kids.

As Marge walked toward the house, a new feeling came over her, excitement. She had not done anything fun in forever and Friday night would be a wonderful change of pace from all the stress she had gone through. Little did she know though that that night would end in the most surprising way possible.

* * *

A/N: Alrighty guys, I hope you all enjoyed that, it was a little boring I know but don't worry I am now just getting to the good parts. The next three chapters are the ones that I cannot wait to share with you especially chapter eleven. You are all probably wondering how Lisa is fairing through all this and that's where chapter eleven comes in, oh yeah!

Oh and an update on my friend, about a week ago he went into the hospital after having problems keeping food down. The doctors at the local hospital decided to do a cat scan to find out what the problem was because it was either some intestinal blockage from the stints or it was just air causing problems. He went up to Denver to visit the actual bladder doctor and it was his stints which were causing bacteria to form inside him. So they did some quick surgery to fix it. He is feeling much better and hopefully he won't have to go visit the doctors again any time soon unless it's a checkup. I think he is so brave through all of this; I just want to give him a big bear hug, though he would probably be the one giving me a big bear hug. Let's just say he looks like Jamie on Mythbusters, walrus mustache and all, a little more hair on the head though.

Now I will shut up and let you all review and have a nice week.


	9. A Night Out

Marge hummed to herself as she made sure she put her makeup on straight. She had been waiting to go out for a whole week and now she could not wait to have a great dinner with Ned. For the first time in many months, she actually had her hair up, tonight was a special night. As she prepped up she heard a knock on the bathroom door and gave a quick sigh before opening the door to see who it was. It was Bart and he seemed a little annoyed by something.

"Mom, Lisa took the good TV dinner and I know she did it on purpose because it's the only one with meat on it," said Bart who was staring at the floor afraid to look up in case his mother was in her birthday suit.

"Did you tell Lisa there was meat in it?" asked Marge.

"Yeah I did and…woah mom why you looking so fancy tonight?" asked Bart who was now brave enough to look up. Marge hadn't even told the kids about tonight's plans; she only said she was not making dinner.

"Oh I forgot to tell you that I got free tickets to a really nice restaurant on the harbor, so Ned and I are going and you three will stay home," said Marge.

"What! You're going out with Flanders?" asked Bart who now sounded completely appalled.

"Yes I am, he's been so nice to me lately I thought I should take him out to a thank you dinner," said Marge as she walked out of the bathroom and quickly grabbed her purse.

"So it's not a date then?" asked Bart hoping that she would say it wasn't.

"It's sort of one, but its more of a friendship dinner saying thank you and all that," said Marge.

Bart still did not seem convinced, but at the moment he decided to keep his mouth shut. He knew his mother needed some time out away from him and his sisters and Bart felt it would be nice to be home alone with them for a change. They could always watch a good movie that Marge never showed interest in. He would watch for his mother and Flanders though when they came home and look for any signs of affection, ones that showed how much they loved each other.

Marge headed down the stairs where Lisa was standing with Maggie wondering if Bart was going to get his way with the TV dinner. She was about to say something when she noticed how nice Marge looked.

"You didn't tell us you were going out," said Lisa in a surprised voice.

"I know, I just didn't want you kids bothering me about it. Now you three behave while I'm gone, I'll probably be back by ten," said Marge as she kissed each of her children on the head before walking out the door.

The three kids stared at the door for a moment before Lisa turned to Bart with a smirk. "Now about that TV dinner."

Marge quickly made her way over to Ned's house. The air was getting colder and the chill made Marge walk faster to his front door. When she reached it she knocked heavily on the door while trying to warm her arms, she really should have brought a jacket to cover herself.

Ned was quick to answer the door and noticed Marge's predicament. "Forgot the weather was changing did you?" he asked.

"Yeah I guess, I might have to go back and get a coat," said Marge.

"Don't worry about that, I still have one of Maude's old coverings that would match nicely with your dress," said Ned as he rummaged through his closet and pulled out a lovely top shirt that was red with jewels on the collar. Marge quickly put it on and admired how nicely it fit her.

"Thank you Ned," said Marge.

Ned only nodded as he led Marge back out the door and toward his car. The drive was spent in silence as both anticipated a nice dinner on the harbor. Talking could wait anyway, the night was still young.

For a Friday night, the harbor was quiet, not many people strolled along the sidewalks and both Marge and Ned believed it was because it was a cold night. The first in a while and everyone was happy staying warm in a temperature they had gotten used to.

They soon found the bistro near the center of the harbor and walked in. They were seated right away next to a lovely fountain. Italian music was playing around them and they got a delicious loaf of bread with dipping oil. Marge ordered a red wine while Ned ordered a soda, knowing that he was driving home later. Both remained silent for a few minutes while waiting for their salad before Marge finally had to break the ice.

"Thank you for all your help Ned, I'm so glad we are neighbors," said Marge.

"You are most welcome Marge, everyone needs a shoulder to cry on when they need help," said Ned.

Marge only smiled, she really wanted to have a happy conversation tonight, it was after all a night off.

"Why don't we talk about something else, we always seem to talk about the other stuff, we need a night of happiness," said Marge.

"That's fine by me, what do you want to talk about?" asked Ned.

Marge grabbed a piece of bread and dunked it into the oil while she thought, she had been Ned's neighbor for years and she never really got to know him thanks to Homer and his rudeness.

"Well what is your favorite book in the Bible?" asked Marge knowing that religion was easy for Ned.

"Oh you picked a good subject there Marge, do you mind if I give you my favorite of the Old Testament and one for the New?" asked Ned.

"Sure," said Marge.

"Well in the Old testament I was always fond of Genesis mainly because you find out that God is a big baseball fan," said Ned.

"Oh how so?" asked Marge ready to hear a big secret about the Bible.

"Well haven't you noticed that the first verse says 'In the big inning?'" asked Ned with a smirk while at the same time he wiggled his mustache like Samantha would do with her nose on Bewitched. The sudden idea of telling jokes tonight seemed to be a great way to help break the ice.

Marge got it right away and gave out a hearty chuckle from Ned's silly little comment. She hadn't heard a new joke in a long time and the last good one was by Homer a few weeks after the explosion at the plant. Something about how old Mr. Burns was. She had forgotten it now and wished she could remember it at the moment.

"Here's another good one, where is the first math problem mentioned in the Bible?" asked Ned who was glad to start a conversation that included good clean jokes. He could go all night with them if he wanted.

"Where?" asked Marge.

"When God told Adam and Eve go to forth and multiply," said Ned trying to sound all serious as if it were true.

Marge gave a small chuckle again. "And did they ever!" she said.

"How about this one, what kind of lights were on the ark?" asked Ned.

"I don't know, candles?" asked Marge with a smirk.

"Nope, floodlights," said Ned.

Marge tried not to laugh as she tried to eat a piece of lettuce in her salad that had arrived shortly beforehand. Ned just smiled back at her, happy to have helped her mood become brighter.

"Well you sure know how to make someone happy," said Marge.

"It's what men need to do, you gals need love and happiness mixed in with all that sentiment," said Ned.

"You are such a gentleman Ned, you don't know how much your presence means to me," said Marge as she grabbed the hand Ned was not using to eat his salad with. It felt warm and comforting and it made her feel more alive and happy, a feeling that she had been missing ever since Homer's health deteriorated. Ned stared down at her hand, for a moment he did not know what to do until he suddenly felt the same feeling Marge felt, a feeling he had not felt longer than her and it felt so satisfying.

"Just letting everyone know that the dance floor is open tonight," said a voice on a nearby intercom as music began to play.

Marge looked around once she heard the announcement and watched as several couples showed interest in the idea of dancing. One husband jumped up almost right away and took his wife with him toward the dance floor, while another older gentleman begged his wife to dance who was reluctant at first, probably because they were older now and not the best dancers any more. But who really cared about that? It didn't matter how well you danced, just how much you loved each other. The older lady finally gave in and followed her husband to the dance floor, pretty soon they were lost in the moment with five other couples on the dance floor. Marge let out a sigh as she watched them stare at each other with loving eyes and happy futures. One lady was pregnant and the husband couldn't be any prouder of the new child entering the world. Would it be their first?

"Would a young lady like to dance?" Ned suddenly asked causing Marge to return to reality.

Marge looked back at Ned; he was smiling and holding his hand out, ready to bring her out on to the dance floor. Marge hesitated for a moment, unsure if it was the right thing to do. She took a quick sip of what was left of her wine and then looked in Ned's eyes. They seemed to tell her that everything would be alright and that she was not betraying Homer for a quick dance. Finally she took Ned's hand and followed him over to the dance floor where Ned began to lead with Marge following every move he made.

Together they swayed back and forth; listening to the music and watching the happy couples share their love. Ned began thinking about the past, he remembered those years with Maude, the blessings he shared with her and those wonderful times they spent sharing things out of the good book. It was amazing how he didn't try to kill Homer himself after the accident; Homer even admitted that it was his fault. He even told Ned about a month before his death how guilty he felt for tearing his family apart and that he hoped Maude would forgive him if he ever saw her again. Ned did not even understand why he even went to that motor speedway in the first place; usually he and the family would have gone to the park to enjoy the day. Fate was a strange thing.

Ned let out a heavy sigh, two years had gone by so quickly, and he had gotten over her death in a few months but the pain was still there. That bed sure was lonely at night; he remembered how Maude would sleep closely to him, laying her head on his shoulders or sleeping back to back. The kids seemed to take it okay but they did seem lonely too. He remembered the time when Marge had to baby sit and both Rod and Todd admitted that she was the most fun they had since before Maude died. Ned couldn't be two parents, it just wasn't possible but he didn't want to let Maude down, their love was so strong, he couldn't find any one new without thinking about her. Or could he?

Before Ned knew it, he felt Marge lay her head on his chest and let out a heavy sigh, he didn't know if it was a happy sigh or a sad one but it made him wonder if she was having the same thoughts he had.

Marge was remembering the last time she had danced with Homer, it was at a friends wedding reception and Homer had been diagnosed four months before. Naturally she was the worried wife who wanted to make everything right for her dying husband.

* * *

_They swayed back and forth together, listening to the beautiful wedding music and not paying attention to anything else around them, it was the perfect night to be at the pier. They had danced for twenty minutes and Homer was showing no signs of stopping, though Marge was getting a bit concerned. _

"_Homer, I won't feel bad if you need to sit down and rest," said Marge with a worried stare. _

"_Oh Marge, I'm fine, we don't need to worry about my health, this is a night to be together in love," said Homer and he grabbed Marge's hands and made her do a twirl around her._

"_But Dr. Hibbert said to take it easy, you never know when you might suddenly have to be sent to the hospital," said Marge as she did her twirl in a face that looked as if she was dancing with someone she never knew. _

"_Oh Doctors, what do they know. They say you have a terminal illness but I don't feel like I am dying. I've only been sick once and that was four months ago," said Homer._

"_But Homer, cancer can go into remission. Right now you are fine but things can change very fast," said Marge as she started to tug at him a little, just to get him to sit down. _

_Homer noticed this and looked back at her with a concerned smile. He was trying to be optimistic through all this but it looked as if Marge would want to have none of that. He wanted to make his last months happy with Marge; he didn't want them to be downers._

"_Marge, can't you let the mourning wait, we need to have happy memories together, not ones where one of us is worried the other might not make it to see tomorrow," said Homer._

_Marge stared back at Homer; he had a small smile on his face the kind that almost gave him a puppy dog look. It was the kind of look that usually won Marge over especially in a situation like this. Homer was right though, they needed to dance together, the problems they were facing shouldn't hold them back. If Homer could do it, then he had every right to. Marge needed to create happy memories with him._

"_Okay Homer, just let me know when you want to rest," said Marge as she waited for Homer to start leading again. _

_Homer only smiled as he led her around the dance floor. The other couples who danced near them stopped to watch, admiring their spirit through a difficult change they were going through. They admired Homer's spirit and Marge's bravery and they all prayed that Homer would somehow win the battle like so many other people they knew. _

"_Marge, you have the grace of an angel," said Homer as he noticed how Marge moved about the dance floor and flowed perfectly with what he was doing._

_Marge only smiled; she loved it when Homer was aware of others around him. Usually he was too busy looking around for a beer or what was on TV to care. But tonight, he was different; he was the husband she wanted him to be. Marge let Homer grab her around her waist and bent her down almost near the floor where both stared into each others eyes for a long moment. Slowly Homer lifted her back up while at the same time puckering his lips in the form of a kiss. Marge smiled before moving forward to give her husband the romantic kiss of the night._

* * *

"Marge!" She suddenly heard a voice call out to her; she opened her eyes and saw that she was face to face with Ned. She was so deep in thought that she had forgotten that she was dancing with Ned and not Homer. She had almost kissed Ned.

"Sorry, I was daydreaming," she said with a sheepish grin.

Ned looked back at her nervously and then looked over at the table, salvation had come. "Oh look our food is here," he said.

The two returned to their booth. Marge's wine had been refilled and she instantly took a sip before digging into her angle hair pasta. While she chewed she thought back to the last dance with Homer. They ended up dancing for a good forty-five minutes; Homer decided to make Marge happy and sat down at their table where they watched everyone else enjoy the evening. It was the perfect night, until about an hour later when Homer suddenly felt winded and exhausted. Marge decided it was best to go home but halfway there, Homer had some difficulty breathing and Marge rushed him to the hospital.

It was nothing too serious, not yet any way. Dr. Hibbert only said that Homer had done a little too much that evening and his body had a hard time catching up. He spent a day in the hospital before heading home feeling better and not too exhausted. Marge though made sure that Homer knew he needed to take it easy, but of course Homer still had a few wacky mishaps afterward. One involved him and Lenny trying to catch the biggest fish in Lake Springfield and another time where he, Bart and Lisa got lost in the woods overnight after going on a hike together.

Marge did not sleep a wink that night, she was so afraid that something had happened to Homer and that the kids did not know what to do. It wasn't until later in the afternoon the next day when they finally showed themselves; apparently Homer had taken them to a special place to give them a talk. It was later in the evening when Homer was finished and it was getting dark fast, they soon ended up getting lost and it was Lisa who suggested that it would be smarter for them to stay put where they were for the night. Homer decided to be the brave father too and stayed awake the entire night, making sure his children were safe from the elements. He was exhausted by the time he returned and of course Marge took him straight to Dr. Hibbert. Amazingly though, he was not in too bad of shape, he just needed some rest and he would be fine by morning. Homer was glad he spent time with the kids like that because two months later, the cancer finally caught up with him.

Marge sighed and looked up at Ned as she sipped her wine. He was looking down at his chicken Alfredo, looking a bit embarrassed by the whole situation. He looked up a few seconds later and Marge only stared back before giving him a small grin. Ned only grinned back before going back to cutting up a piece of chicken. Marge took another sip of wine and looked back down at her food thinking about Homer some more.

It was hard to believe he had been gone for nearly four months now. It felt like only a month had passed by, while taking care of him as the cancer finally took hold seemed like years. Every day seemed to be a struggle for him physically and emotionally. He hated asking for help because he wanted Marge to worry about other things than himself. Marge though wanted to help him, she wanted to be the wife who stayed strong through everything, she did not want to give up on him no matter how terrible the outcome would get.

She was glad he passed away quietly but so saddened that his life had to end so soon. She had hoped he would live longer than that, at least till he was in his seventies or at least his eighties. She remembered hearing a sermon from Reverend Lovejoy that God has a plan for everyone. Some would leave this world as quickly as they had come while others stayed until they felt their time on this earth was expired and needed to go to the place where life was eternal and happy. Marge sensed that Homer's plan was to give her someone to share her love with and have three beautiful children as the outcome. Three children who only had a father for a short time. They seemed to have a new father now though, Ned was being so helpful in all of this, picking the kids up when he could and watching them if she had to take care of things. She just wished Bart didn't act so angry around him, Marge really did not understand how Bart was feeling, he never liked talking about how he felt, he seemed to act way too brave for his own good.

But Bart needed to accept Ned into their lives for now; he was giving her a job and comforting her through the hardest thing in her life. She couldn't just walk away from him because of how Bart felt about it. It was strange though how Bart was steering clear of Ned, she remembered how he ran off to find him before the bomb blew off when the dome was over the town, and how he even told Homer that he wished Ned was his father during the argument they had in their Alaskan home. Of course the mind was a strange thing to deal with, one minute you wanted to be with someone, the next minute you couldn't stand them, Bart was probably feeling this way and of course he did loose someone important in his life and all his emotions were running wild.

So much was going through Marge's mind that it was hard for her to think and for her to notice that she had finished her plate, and a glass and a half of wine. It was Ned who finally pointed out that the bill had come; quickly she took out her two coupons and a nice big tip for the waiter and set them on the table before taking one more big sip of her wine. They then left the restaurant silently, walking side by side but nervously. Marge was a little embarrassed by the dance and she wondered if Ned was now too afraid to go out with her again. But that wonder quickly changed when Ned finally spoke up.

"So Marge, have you seen any good movies lately?" he asked with a grin. The momentary awkwardness now seemed to have subsided because he sounded more relaxed and more like himself.

"Oh yeah, Bart picks out some pretty good ones. A few nights ago I saw this movie with Russell Crow called Master and Commander," said Marge.

"Oh I have seen that one too, such a great swashbuckling adventure, I just wish that doctor wasn't so into evolution," said Ned.

"Oh I don't think he was, I think he just wanted to study how animals adapted on that island. I was so glad Jack Aubrey decided to give him a chance to visit the place. The poor guy needed some respite," said Marge.

"What was your favorite scene?" asked Ned.

Marge thought for a moment walking along the pier with Ned until something caught her eye, giving her an idea. She grabbed Ned by the arm and slowly she led him to a section with lots of statues and benches. Ned only followed thinking that Marge wanted to go a different way and enjoy the night while it was still young.

"I liked it when Jack fought that French ship near the end, and water was spraying everywhere from all the guns going off, just like it's about……… to do………… right………….. now," said Marge.

Ned was confused for a moment until five different spouts of water suddenly burst out from the ground. Ned let out a gasp of surprise as another five different spouts attacked him from behind. Marge stood at the edge and began to laugh hard at Ned's surprised face; she had really tricked him good. Ned of course was not going to take this lightly and before Marge could even think about running away, he grabbed her and swung her into the water jets with him. Marge let out a scream of laughter before she ran with Ned through the fountains, dodging the water left and right and sometimes pushing each other into an oncoming spout. Even though it was freezing cold, they did not care, it was a great way to let off anything that had gone earlier.

Not only did they forget their troubles during that brief moment of fun, but they also forgot about how far away Ned's car was. They made their way as fast as they could to the parking lot covered head to toe in water and both were shivering like two Chihuahuas. Marge's hair now looked scraggly and unkempt, it was halfway down and parts of it were sticking out. Ned looked like an old sheepdog by how his mustache was now drooping and his hair was a bit mussed as well. When they finally reached the car, Ned had to hold his hand steady as he unlocked the door and when he turned on the ignition while Marge quickly grabbed a towel from the backseat to dry off as best she could.

"Nice trick there Marge," said Ned with a smirk once he finally got the car running.

"I couldn't help myself," said Marge as she tried to dry her hair.

"Thank goodness I bought a new heater for this thing a few years ago or we would be both catching Pneumonia before the night is through," said Ned as he turned on the heater at full blast.

Marge said nothing, her teeth were chattering too much to do anything else. It was a stupid idea but they still had so much fun. It wasn't long before the heat helped them warm up and Marge was glad for it since they came home at the perfect time. Ned decided to be a gentleman and stopped his car in front of Marge's house. Marge was about to open the door when Ned grabbed her arm.

"No no, don't get out yet young lady," he said.

Marge sat there wondering what was going on until she realized that Ned was opening the door for her. Such a gentleman. Marge mad her way out of the car and once she was all the way out she looked up at Ned and gave him a warm smile. "Thank you so much Ned, that was such a nice night," she said.

"If you ever want to go out again just let me know, and if you still need anything I am right here," said Ned.

Marge looked down at the sidewalk; her mind was racing again about what was going on. Tonight was such a special night, almost like a fairy tale. She had been trapped in her house for the last four months mourning Homer's death and trying to handle things the best she could. The nice man that came into the Leftorium had given her those special tickets and she had someone to share it with. The kind neighbor who would do anything for her. Ned was just standing next to her as if he was expecting Marge to say something to him and to Marge it was the perfect opportunity. For a moment she stared at Ned and then tried to move forward but quickly had second thoughts as she looked down at the ground nervously.

"What's wrong Marge, is there something you want to tell me?" asked Ned who seemed a bit concerned.

Marge bit her lip and stared up at Ned for a moment while he waited for a response. Finally she decided that she had to get it over with and before Ned knew what hit him, Marge went full force at him and kissed him on the lips, her arms around his neck in a loving embrace.

Ned stood there in shock, unsure of how to take what was going on with Marge. Carefully he pushed her out of his personal space and Marge quickly got the message as she let go of him before looking up at Ned with a sheepish face.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it," she said nervously.

Ned looked back at her awkwardly; he rubbed the back of his neck not sure how to respond to what just went on. Was it the wine? She did have three and a half glasses but usually that didn't make you too drunk. He knew now though that it was probably best to go home.

"See you later," he finally said as he got into his car.

Marge watched Ned make his short drive into his driveway before he disappeared into the house; her mind was now racing about what just happened. What made her want to kiss her own neighbor like that? Was it because she was half drunk or was it because something new was brewing inside her? Marge shook her head at that thought; it was too soon, she shouldn't act rational like that right now. Sure it was like a fairy tale, but she still loved Homer and she was still married to him for as long as she wanted.

Marge then let out a shiver and remembered that she was still outside and wet from the fountain incident, as quickly as she could she ran to the door. She opened the door and the first thing she saw when she walked in was Bart sitting on the bottom step of the stairs with an angry look in his eyes. One that told her he had seen everything that had gone outside, and he was not going to leave until she gave him a reasonable explanation.

* * *

A/N: Sorry about the long wait, finals take over your life like nobodies business. And look a mini cliffhanger! Well summer is finally here which means I will be updating more frequently for you guys. But just to warn you in advance June 15th through the 30th, I will be taking two classes. I don't know how often I will have time to write so there will be a small dry spell once we reach those weeks. Also If my chapters suddenly start getting repetative, please slap me, I'm worrying they might suddenly do that and I won't be paying attention to what I write.

Any way quick story behind the Master and Commander conversation. I got the idea thanks to a friend of mine who loves writing fanfiction, has more ideas brimming in that brain of hers than I ever will. She has like twenty of them right now it's insane, I don't know how she keeps track of them. But any way, when I first came up with this chapter back in March, she was in a Master and Commander kick and it kind of rubbed off on me so I decided to mention it. Great movie by the way if you have not seen it. She is off that kick now, for a few months it was Twilight but after forcing me to go with her and see Star Trek (Don't worry I thought it was amazing) she is now in a Star Trek kick, thank God too, I can handle only so much Twilight. Yeah my friend has fanfiction ADD.

Any way I will shut up now, and please review when you can. Have a nice week.


	10. A Big Argument

Marge stared back at Bart with a nervous eye. It was now a little past eleven o'clock and he should have been in bed about an hour ago. She sensed that he was still up because he wanted to make sure she got home safe which was kind of him, but now he had seen something that should have never been seen. Marge knew she had to find a way out of this and tried to bring about a different subject.

"So Bart did you have a nice evening with your sisters?" asked Marge as she set Maude's coat on a chair to help dry it.

Bart did not respond but continued to glare as Marge walked through the rooms making sure everything was tidy. To her surprise, everything had been cleaned up and everything looked spotless. Definitely a nice thing to come home to. She then walked out of the kitchen and towards the steps, hoping that she could avoid a conversation with Bart, perhaps it would all blow over in the morning.

"I saw what you did," he said in the most spiteful tone as she walked past him.

Marge turned around and stared back at him, she now knew that there was no way out of this tonight, his eyes were set on hers and he wanted an explanation.

"Bart don't worry about it, it was nothing," said Marge hoping that he would get it and leave her alone.

"Like hell it wasn't!" he said as he jumped up full of anger.

"Bart don't you dare use that language in front of me, I am your mother and you have no right to pry into my private life," said Marge remembering that she was the leader of the house and the one who made the rules, not a twelve year old.

"You love him don't you?" said Bart with a stare so angry that it made Marge wonder if he could bore a hole into her forehead.

Marge stared back amazed by how angry Bart was and amazed he would even ask such a ridiculous question. But it was one a twelve year old would probably ask when his whole life was being turned around. Strangely though this was a question she was having trouble with tonight.

"Love is a strong word Bart," sighed Marge after she stared back at her son for a few moments.

This was when Bart suddenly went over the edge, he had not received a straight answer from either Ned or Marge and it was making him very angry.

"Then what the hell is love? Why the hell did you kiss him? Why have I seen him hug you? What the hell is going on?" asked Bart.

Marge gave a heavy sigh, she really did not want to get into a fight with Bart, it was late and things weren't making sense as it was. She did wish Homer was there to straighten things out but of course he would probably give Bart a good throttling. She knew he was still taking his death pretty hard, yet he had kept his emotions locked tight. It made her wonder how he could handle all this, probably what he was doing right now. She knew she had to tell him to stop.

"Bart, it's late, I'm exhausted and you are too, maybe if you sleep on it, what you saw won't seem as bad," said Marge as she began walking up the stairs again. She really wanted to get out of the wet clothes she was wearing and take a warm bath before bed.

"No! We need to talk this over right now," said Bart eyes fixed on her and his arms crossed in anger.

"Bart!" said Marge as calmly as she could.

"Dad said I was the man of the house now and as man of the house I say that hanging out with Flanders is a bad idea. When I see him with you, you just seem to forget that Dad was ever a part of us. You come home and look extremely happy like he erased Dad from your mind; it's as if you want to marry the guy. I know he makes you feel better but finding someone new so soon is just wrong," said Bart, to Marge he seemed to be rambling about nothing but she could tell that he was frustrated by his voice.

"Bart, calm down, I will never forget your father, Ned has just helped me through a very difficult loss. If you talked to him, he would probably help you out as well," said Marge.

"But I don't want him to help me, I don't care about him. He's just a goody two shoes, who's trying to get at you. One day you'll forget Dad ever existed because he will warp your mind with all those Bible verses and howdilly doodillys," said Bart who now looked angrier than ever.

Marge stared back at him, she could not believe what he was saying, it hurt her deep inside and she knew that she had to silence him somehow. And she knew the best response to that.

"So what about when you spent time with Ned before we left for Alaska. I remember you even told your father you wished that Ned was your father, you even went to him before the bomb blew off," said Marge hoping that this would be the nail on the coffin.

"Yeah well that was different; Dad was being selfish just like you are being right now. You are only thinking about what is right for you and not how I, Lisa, or Maggie feel. You Just……" Bart began but before he could finish, Marge, in all her frustration and anger, grabbed Bart by the shirt cuff and pinned him against the wall as hard as she could.

"Listen here little man, if you ever call me selfish again I swear you will get a worse throttling than your father ever gave you," said Marge as she pointed at him and her face was so full of anger that even Lisa would be afraid to go near her.

Bart stared back, amazed that his own mother would turn on him like this. He tried to show no emotion, he did not want to loose this fight and he did not want to stop now no matter what.

"You don't even care do you?" he said in a serious tone.

Marge stared back at him, not even a tear had fallen; only his eyes showed that he was unhappy with what was going on. She could sense that he was not going to give up.

"I do care; I am just tired, especially of your attitude right now. And if you don't leave me alone then consider yourself grounded for a month," said Marge whose voice started to rise with every word.

"That's fine by me, why would I want to spend time with a _whore _like you!" Exclaimed Bart who made sure he emphasized on the word "whore" while his face was so close to Marge's that she could feel his breath.

Marge stared back in shock at Bart; never in her wildest dreams did she ever think he would say that. She looked into his eyes, hoping to find some remorse, but none came, only that angry stare that he had given since she came home.

"You seriously mean that?" asked Marge her eyes now watering up at the thought of her only son treating her this way.

"I don't know, you tell me what love is and maybe I will apologize," said Bart as loudly and as angry as he could, he did not care if he was hurting his mother's feelings.

Marge was now more frustrated than ever, never in her life had Bart been this difficult. Suddenly she did something that she never imagined doing, luckily they were only standing on the fourth step or Bart would have really hurt himself. As hard as she could, she pushed Bart down the stairs causing him to land heavily on his bottom knocking the wind out of him. Marge watched him fall and then saw the pain in his eyes when he finally landed, her maternal instincts suddenly kicked in and she gasped in surprise at her sudden horrible actions. She could not believe she had done that.

Once Bart regained his breath, he looked up at Marge, and his eyes were still filled with hate but this time, they had tears flowing freely because of the sudden shock of his mother's actions. Marge stared back at him for a moment before deciding that enough was enough, she had to escape to her room away from any more attacks. She reached the top stairs when Bart let out one more retaliation.

"I hate you!" he said with spite.

Marge turned around and looked back at her son, her only son who stared back like little Nemo in that fish movie.

"I wish Dad was here instead of you!" he screamed.

Marge stared back, did Bart really mean this or was he just exhausted from being up so late. She hoped it was the latter she did not want Bart to stop loving her.

"You want to know what he told me two years ago before anything bad ever happened, it was when you were on the police force, you want to know what he told me?" asked Bart who was now shaking with emotion as he slowly climbed the steps.

"W-what did he tell you Bart?" asked Marge who was now shaking as well.

"He told me that if he ever lost you, he would never know what to do with himself. He said you were the only one for him; no one else would ever take your place. You were his greatest treasure. He said that if you died his life would be over and that the only thing he would look forward to was us coming home and making his day, that's how much he cared about you," said Bart his voice shaking with emotion as the tears finally showed themselves after months of keeping them in.

Marge stared back, crying for the first time in many nights. She could not believe what Bart had just told her and it made her wish that Homer was standing right there just to comfort her from the words Bart had just told her. Finally she could not take it any more and ran as fast as she could to her room, locking the door behind her. She soon found herself weeping uncontrollably on the bed. She could not believe she just flung her son down the stairs, it was something she would never do, her feelings had finally got to her and it hurt the ones she loved. Why did she do what she did? Why did Homer have to leave her so soon? She wanted to grow old with him, not watch him decay so soon like he did. So much was going through her mind now and she wondered if she would ever forgive herself for it.

Bart made his way to the top stairs and stared at the closed door before noticing that Lisa was standing by her door in her room. Tears falling down her face, he knew she heard the whole thing.

"How could you say such things Bart?!" Lisa proclaimed before she slammed the door behind her.

Bart let out a heavy sigh, he now felt guilty, but he wanted his mother to know how he felt and he knew that sooner or later it would have to come out. Too bad it was with a fight. He believed he was right though, he didn't want Marge to fall in love so soon after loosing his father, his only father that he was now missing terribly. Bart quickly slammed the door to his room behind him and made his way over to his bed. He stared down at it with a gloomy face while his guilt began to rise and a feeling of hopelessness overcame him. Finally he grabbed his pillow and hugged it tightly as the tears began to fall heavily for the first time.

Never had he cried like this, during the those two years in which his father fought for his life, he would only cry softly letting it last for a few moments before wiping the tears away. Boys didn't cry, he always told himself, they had to be strong and brave through even the toughest situations. Holding it in meant that you could handle anything and that's what Bart believed in until tonight.

He lay there on his bed, covering his head with his pillow and wishing with all his heart that things would be okay. As he sobbed under the pillows, he heard Lisa in the next room playing her saxophone and he wondered how she was handling everything that was going on.

* * *

A/N: Okay I will admit that this was a hard chapter to write and it's short too which is kind of nice since my chapters have been long. Yeah Bart's pissed and Marge had a little too much wine, I hope they were not too out of character, if they were please slap me. I hope you all thought it was okay because this chapter is kind of important for the rest of the story, you will see why when I get to the end of chapter 12. And I keep adding things so yeah this story might reach 20 chapters, I'm still sorting through details.

Also I was surprised that only two readers reviewed the last chapter, I thought I would get quite a few people gasping at what had gone on. I guess it wasn't as surprising as I thought it was. But please review, I love getting critiques and reactions to what is going on, it makes me feel all warm and gooshy. I will shut up now and let you all go on with your lives and be prepared for the next chapter; I can't wait to share it. See you all in about a week.


	11. What Lisa Saw

Lisa listened from her room as Bart slammed the door. She was glad the fight was over but saddened the night had to end that way. Her mother probably had the most wonderful time in months only to have it ruined by Bart. Her brother always seemed to cause some sort of problem and she was amazed that he hadn't done worse things since their father died.

Lisa gave a heavy sigh; she was tired but not tired enough to go to sleep. It had been a great night with Bart and Maggie. They watched a Disney movie, had a nice TV dinner and had a little fun putting Maggie to sleep. She was surprised Maggie hadn't woken up from all the ruckus; she guessed that she was a heavy sleeper. Lisa sat on her bed thinking for a moment, should she talk to her mother or Bart? No, they needed to be left alone; they needed to sort their own problems out.

Lisa sat at the edge of her bed, thinking about the last words her father told her. "You need to be brave Lisa." But how could she be brave? Her whole world had fallen apart. The last few months had been so hard as she tried to get on in life without her father. Being brave was a lot easier said than done. Lisa gave a heavy sigh before letting the tears slowly flow down her face. What was going to happen to the family now? Had her mother really fallen in love with Ned Flanders or was it something that Bart was taking too seriously? She knew her mother would not do that, not so soon after her father's death, she just wished Bart understood that.

Finally Lisa decided to confide in the only thing she knew would not be angry at her for being near her and that was her saxophone. It was sitting there all alone on the far corner, she had not played it in a few days and already dust was starting to settle. She hated it when that happened; it made her feel neglectful of her music. Quietly she picked it up; made sure everything was in order and began to play the first song that came to her mind. "Tears in Heaven."

At first she played softly, it wasn't too loud and usually her mother commented that her music was soothing enough to fall asleep through. After a while though, her mind began to race with all the energy and emotion she had left that day and began to play like she was in a concert hall. It was alright though, Marge did not come knocking at the door to tell her to quiet down and Bart did not bang on the wall.

When her mind came back to reality, Lisa looked over at the time and saw how late it was, it was now one in the morning, she should had been asleep hours ago. It was amazing how ones feelings could make someone keep going at what they loved. Quietly she unstrapped the saxophone and put it back on the stand before turning out the lights and hiding herself deep in her covers.

Sleep came fast to her and in no time she found herself deep in REM sleep as her dreams began to come to her. Soon she found herself standing all alone in a beautiful meadow, birds were singing all around her, butterflies landed on soft petals and a tiny stream flowed through with tiny little goldfish jumping in and out of the stream.

Lisa looked around at the beautiful sight, she had never had dream as beautiful as this before, she felt at peace as she romped through the flowers stopping to pick some and smell their sweet smell. What made this dream even stranger though was how real the smells were, she could smell the lavender before she could even pick it up and the birds looked so real she thought she could actually grab one and sing songs with it.

She continued to wander, running up hills and chasing butterflies that seemed think it was a game when she walked by. She was enjoying her feeling of happiness as she ran up another hill, when she reached the top she realized how much higher it was from all the other hills she had been running up. She looked around to see where she would go exploring next when she saw a figure sitting alone down by the stream. Lisa stared at the figure with a puzzled look, it looked like a young man, in his early twenties just sitting there watching the stream flow by.

"I wonder who he is," said Lisa to herself as she walked down the hill hoping to meet the stranger. Hopefully nothing bad would happen in which the dream would turn into a nightmare.

Carefully she made her way over until she was a few feet away from the stranger. It took her a moment to get the courage to speak up but she finally did.

"Excuse me sir, what do you call this place?" she asked.

For a moment the stranger did not respond and before Lisa decided to try and ask again he stood up and faced her.

"It's good to see you again Lisa," he said.

For a moment Lisa did not recognize the stranger. He looked to be about twenty-four with short brown hair, and he wasn't skinny but he wasn't fat either, just the right enough size to tell that he enjoyed food. That was when Lisa realized who it was.

"Dad?" Lisa exclaimed in a breathless tone.

Homer only smiled as he pulled out his arms to show that he was ready to give his daughter a hug. Lisa gave him a tear filled smile and without hesitation, she ran forward and gave him the biggest hug she could muster as Homer grabbed her in his arms and did a little twirl in the field.

"Oh Dad I miss you so much," said Lisa.

"I know Lisa, I wish I can come back, there was so much I wanted to do with you as you grew up," said Homer who let out a heavy sigh, he did not want to cry in front of his daughter when she needed him more than ever.

Lisa said nothing for a long time but enjoyed her loving bond with him. Finally she realized that seeing someone again didn't have to be sad, they could find ways to have fun.

"Let's go for a walk and enjoy the meadow," said Lisa as Homer let her down and quickly grabbed his hand.

"I was hoping we would do that," said Homer.

Lisa smiled back at his statement; she was so glad he was acting like a father rather than in her old dreams where he usually did something terribly stupid and embarrassing. As tightly as she could, Lisa held Homer's hand as she led the way toward a lake that looked inviting and fun. Homer was right behind her the whole time, never slowing down like he once did; for once he was a healthy person.

Lisa soon reached the lake a little before Homer did, it did not take her long to find a cliff that was large enough to jump down off of but small enough to keep her from waking up to this wonderful dream. She looked down at the edge and then at Homer who made his way to a nice quiet spot next to a willow tree and soaked his feet in. Lisa waved at him and he waved back before she took the plunge.

Lisa's whole body became submerged into the water and for a few moments, Lisa floated as she looked at how clear the water was around her. She could see all the way to the bank of the lake and Homer's toes as they moved back and forth through the water making rippling movements. Lisa contemplated for a moment about swimming straight over to knock Homer in when a school of fish suddenly swam by.

They were very thin fish, almost like needlefish, long pointy mouths and tails with some of the most beautiful colors she had ever seen. Some were a mixture of purples and blues while others were almost blending in with the crystal clear water. Lisa watched as they circled her, tickling her feet and hiding in her hair. Lisa giggled under the water and watched as several of them swam through the bubbles with much delight. Then without any explanation, they twirled in circles creating hundreds of bubbles, and then disappeared. Lisa stared back puzzled at what she had just seen but then remembered that someone more important was nearby.

Lisa looked back to where her father had been sitting on the bank watching her; he was still there and still making ripples along the water. Lisa smiled and swam like a mermaid toward him, leaping out of the water with as much spray as she could before smiling up at him.

"Thanks for bringing me here Dad," she said happily.

"Any time Lisa, it's a great place to think," said Homer as Lisa held onto his legs while he bobbed her up and down in the water.

Suddenly, Lisa grabbed Homer's legs and before he could grab onto something, Lisa dunked him underwater. Homer quickly came back up and waited as Lisa slowly rose back up for air as if acting like Ariel in The Little Mermaid. When Lisa finally showed herself, she had a beautiful water flower in her hand with a needlefish biting down on it like it was the stem. She handed it to Homer who gave it a quick sniff before the needlefish let go and dived back in the water, leaving only a small stem and the flower behind.

Homer looked at the flower and then smiled at Lisa before putting it in her hair. Lisa admired it from her reflection and then moved forward to hug her father tightly. Homer then pulled her off and held her hand.

"Why don't we get out of the water and watch the sun set, and we can talk about anything you want," said Homer as he began swimming back to the bank. Lisa quickly grabbed him by the shoulders and rode on his back toward the shore.

Lisa quickly jumped off when they reached the roots of the willow tree and made her way to a soft green patch where she lay down on her back and watched the leaves of the willow flow back and forth with the wind. Homer soon joined her and for a long time, they were both quiet and content. Lisa soon realized that this was a special dream, one where her father could talk to her as long as they could and she had to take advantage of that situation.

"So why is it that I see you in your younger form?" Lisa asked as she looked toward Homer who was still staring up at the sky.

Homer did not respond right away, he just looked up at the willow tree and then turned to Lisa with a smile. "Because when you go to heaven, you assume the form of when you were the healthiest and apparently it was about a year before Bart was born," said Homer.

"Oh I never thought of that, and that reminds me do you think Bart took Mom's night out a little too hard?" asked Lisa hoping that her father would give her a straight answer.

Homer turned to Lisa with a sad face; he just wanted to have a peaceful dream with Lisa but with Lisa's quizzical nature there was no way that was going to happen.

"He did yes, but that's because your brother has been holding all his emotions in. He's trying to be brave and be the man of the house like I told him to, but he is taking it too far. Now I know that crying in front of people makes you sound like a wimpy man, but sometimes its good to let all your feelings out, you need a shoulder to cry on once in a while," said Homer .

"But what about Mr. Flanders, is Mom really falling in love with him, or is it in Bart's mind?" asked Lisa hoping her father would not go out on a rant about stupid Flanders.

"Your mother has confided in him, and the more he helps the more she feels better around him. But I have also watched them and what may seem like love is just your mother finding happiness to ease the pain. I know it wasn't easy for you guys to watch me slowly die and I know it was worse for your mom who watched me take my last breath. Being with her in spirit is not as easy as it sounds, but Flanders is a good friend and he knows how to make things better," said Homer.

"So it's just friendship then?" asked Lisa, even though her father sounded convincing it was still hard to interpret.

"Lisa," Homer said calmly as he patted her hand. Lisa looked back at her father, the man she never thought would see again even in dreams. Just looking him in the eyes right now made her want to cry.

"What Dad?" Lisa asked as a tear fell down her face.

"Your mother loved me very much, you saw how she was after I left, she was miserable. She can't be miserable forever and finding the perfect friend like that is like one in a million chance, your aunts couldn't help, neither could my dad, or even a regular psychologist, she needs someone who has had that experience," said Homer.

Lisa let out a sigh, he was right about that. Marge had spent a few days with Patty and Selma, talking about how she felt, but both of them were not very good supporters; they believed that a good margarita would cure that problem right up. It actually made Marge more miserable than she was. Causing her to get sick and spend a day next to the toilet while Lisa and Bart helped her the best way they could.

"Don't worry any more; let your mother have some fun. She'll soon learn that Flanders is way too goody-goody to fall in love with and it will probably be many years before she even wants to find anyone at all. It may not even happen, we were that close," said Homer with a smile.

Lisa smiled back and gave her father another huge hug. "Oh Dad, I wish you were this convincing when you were alive," said Lisa.

"Me too Lisa," said Homer as he hugged her tightly.

"So did you really hate Flanders?" asked Lisa

Homer stared at Lisa and gave her a sheepish grin one that usually meant he was guilty of something. A grin that Lisa missed terribly. "I was jealous of him, he was a nice guy who even in the worst times had and still has the biggest smile on his face. Willing to do anything for his friends no matter what it takes. He never gives up on anything and you need a friend like that to help you get out of a jam," said Homer.

"Yeah he's a great guy, we are lucky to have him," said Lisa.

"Yeah most neighbors would go about their own lives, taking care of their own family. Not Ned though he will do anything for you, he's like a second father," said Homer.

"Heh, but I will never call him Dad no matter how hard he tries to be a father figure, you're the only father for me," said Lisa who then moved closer to Homer and hugged him tightly. Homer smiled and put his hand on her back, stroking her lovingly.

Both lay there under the willow tree, listening to the wind rustle and the sound of birds chirping. Lisa did not want this dream to end, she had never felt so at peace and she missed moments like this when she was alone with her father. Father daughter moments used to be the best times for her.

She lay there thinking about the last one she did have with Homer, it was three weeks before he had died. It had been one of his good days as he sat up in bed and played scrabble with Lisa. Lisa had won the game of course but it was one of the longest they had played together taking almost three hours and engaging in a heartfelt conversation as they tried to come up with the right words. Once the game was over, Lisa read a story to Homer but only got halfway before he fell asleep. But Lisa was okay with that, her father was frail now but at least he was able to have enough energy to have one more moment with his daughter.

Her thoughts were soon erased when Homer suddenly spoke. "It's getting dark."

Lisa gasped and jumped up to see the landscape around her, it was slowly changing different colors as the sun began to set, she could sense that her dream was almost over and she did not want that to happen, there were too many questions forming in her mind and she didn't want to leave her father again. Not when she feared that her dreams would take her somewhere else the next time she went to bed.

"Will you visit me again someday?" asked Lisa as she continued to stare at the horizon wishing that time would stop.

"I will try my best Lisa, and don't worry I will always be with you," said Homer.

Lisa was now getting nervous at the fact that it was time to leave she kept holding her father tighter and tighter before he had to pry her off. Lisa looked up at her father with sorrowful eyes as he stood up and began to walk away. Lisa could not let this happen; she had to talk to him one more time.

"Dad wait!" she finally said.

"What is it Lisa?" asked Homer as he turned around toward her.

"I have one more question."

"Well make it quick, the sun is rising in your world."

Lisa let out a heavy sigh, she did not want to cry at this goodbye, she wanted to remain strong ready to hear what her father had to tell her.

"What's heaven like?"

* * *

A/N: Out of all the chapters I have done so far, this one is my favorite and I hope it was yours too. I'll let you guys decide in your own minds what Homer might have told her, it might be a little corny but I don't care I wanted Homer to make some kind of appearance. Hopefully Lisa can relay what he told her to Bart, but I won't tell you if she does, you'll have to find out for yourself. And I know the part with the fish was kind of wierd but hey its a dream, dreams are supposed to be wierd. And I probably used the word hug too many times, I apologise if that is the case.

Alright and now I have to make a suggestion. There is a rewritten story in this section that is being put back up called "_Death of a Simpson"_ by CalculatedChaos. So far only five chapters have been up but I am already drawn to it. Please take your time to read that one as well, he deserves some attention. It's got Sideshow Bob in a non slash way, thank God!

Well that's all for now, please review and let me know what you all thought of this. I will update again next week sometime, so be on the lookout.


	12. His Last Five Months

It was well past nine in the morning when Lisa awoke. She could smell bacon and coffee from downstairs and knew that her mother was cooking a light meal, eggs were probably part of the breakfast and that was fine with her. For a few moments, Lisa felt fine, until she remembered the dream. It was so real and full of love, had her father really visited her or was it just her mind playing tricks with her? Whatever it was it made Lisa dig herself deep into the covers and start to cry. She wanted her Dad to come in and comfort her, tell her everything was alright and that his death had been a horrible nightmare. For a good ten minutes, she stayed under the covers, whimpering and trying to forget the wonderful dream. It was too hard though, she would have to deal with it and head down to breakfast before her mother worried about her.

She came down the stairs to find that Maggie had already gone outside to play in the sandbox and Marge was sitting alone balancing her checkbook with a cup of coffee. Her hair was still in a tangled mess from last night and she looked extremely haggard, as if she did not get any sleep. Bart was nowhere in sight, he was probably still sleeping or just sulking in his bed over last nights argument.

Marge looked up from her thoughts and gave Lisa a warm smile, Lisa could tell that her mother was trying to not to show that she had a hard night. "Good morning Lisa, there are some scrambled eggs in the skillet and some bread by the toaster," she said before looking back down at her checkbook.

Lisa walked over and put two pieces of bread in the toaster before turning back to her mother. "How are you this morning Mom?" she asked.

Marge made a quick subtraction before letting out a heavy sigh and looking at Lisa with a sad face. "I'm a terrible mother aren't I?" she asked.

Lisa gasped at what her mother had said and quickly went over to hold her mothers hand that was sitting on the table. "Mom I love you dearly, you are trying your hardest to take care of us as a single mother now and I don't think you should let Bart stop you from trying. His emotions are all bottled up because he is a boy and boys hold their emotions longer," said Lisa remembering the words her father told her in her dream.

"But Lisa I threw him down the stairs, no mother should do such a thing to their child, even when they aren't behaving," said Marge, Lisa noticed that she was now shaking as she grabbed her cup of coffee.

"I agree that was a terrible thing to do but it wasn't serious and Bart will forgive you, he loves you, he is just upset at what he saw last night," said Lisa as she walked over to grab the toast that had popped out of the toaster.

Marge only sighed and looked down at her cup of coffee, it was almost empty now and there was only a small amount left, enough to see the bottom with and make her swirl it around with the sugar that settled down there.

"It was the wine wasn't it mom?" asked Lisa as she set up a plate next to her and began to eat her eggs.

"I sure hope so," said Marge as she continued to look down. She then looked back up at Lisa and noticed how sorrowful she looked as she slowly ate her toast.

"Is everything okay with you?" she asked in a motherly voice.

Lisa looked up from her plate and quickly swallowed her toast before letting out a heavy and longing sigh. Should she tell her mother all about the dream or just that she had one? It was probably better to do the latter.

"I had a dream last night and Dad was in it," she said as she quickly took another bite of eggs.

"I have those dreams too Lisa, he's there for a short time and then he leaves, I hate waking up to those," said Marge.

"Yeah me too," said Lisa as she wondered if Bart ever had one.

After a few minutes of silence, Lisa finished her breakfast and brought it over to the sink where she looked out the window and saw Maggie having fun alone in the sandbox. She could see the trees moving, signaling a change in the weather and it made her wonder if Maggie was warm enough out there.

"Do you think Maggie should come in now Mom?" asked Lisa.

"I think she should be fine for a few more minutes, why don't you go out and keep her company for a while," said Marge.

Lisa only nodded as she quickly grabbed her sweater and put on a warm pair of shoes before heading out to join her little sister. Maggie was busy making a nice big hole in the dirt and putting a Malibu Stacy into it before looking up at Lisa with a satisfied smile.

"Stacy needs a makeover in the mud, so she is gonna sit in this hole for a while," said Maggie.

"Well that's nice of you Maggie, are you getting cold at all?" asked Lisa.

Maggie stopped what she was doing and thought it over for a moment before giving her an answer. "A little," she finally replied.

"Okay we should go in in ten minutes then, we don't want you to get cold," said Lisa as she gave her little sister an extra scarf. Maggie loosened it after Lisa put it on too tight and went back to her doll.

Lisa then sat down on the edge of the sandbox and watched Maggie for a moment. Her mind was still racing about the dream, it was so real. Yet it did make her wonder why he had visited her and not Bart, maybe she was supposed to talk to him about what her father told her. She guessed Bart did not listen in dreams either.

Lisa let out a heavy sigh and looked over at the two trees where her father used to sleep on the hammock. It was still there swinging against the breeze without an owner. It was then that Lisa was brought back to a memory she really wanted to forget yet her mind was telling her otherwise.

* * *

It had happened five months before Homer's death, a day in which Homer's health took a turn for the worst. The day was almost like today, dreary and cold and Maggie had been playing in her sandbox by herself. It was the weekend too so Bart and Lisa didn't get up until a little later. Marge had gone out early to run some errands and Homer was still in the room sleeping.

Lisa and Bart sat there quietly eating their cereal and thinking about what the day would bring. Bart had been thinking about going over to Milhouse's to play video games and Lisa planned on getting some homework done, nothing too big today.

Both were just finishing their cereal when Homer came down breathing heavily and looking more exhausted than he ever had been. Both Bart and Lisa watched him with concerned faces, wondering what was going on.

"Dad are you okay?" asked Lisa.

Homer did not respond right away but stared out at Maggie, his chest rising up and down faster than normal and he just looked miserable.

"I don't know……maybe I need some fresh air," he said with a heavy sigh between words and slowly he made his way outside and closed the door behind him. Lisa stared back at Bart who looked back worriedly. They had never seen him like this before and it was very worrisome.

Lisa decided that she had to go out and check on her father to see if everything was alright. Quickly she took the last few bites of her cereal before running over to the sink and dumping what was left of the milk in there. She looked outside to see if she could see Homer, it took her a moment to figure out what was going on outside. She rubbed her eyes back and forth trying to see what was lying in front of the sandbox, whatever it was; Maggie was staring back at it looking a bit scared. That was when Lisa gasped in alarm and started to run out the door.

"Bart! Call 911, Dad's fallen!" Lisa yelled as she ran out.

Bart jumped up and looked out the window to see Lisa running toward their father who was lying on the ground not moving. As quickly as he could, he ran to the phone.

Lisa made her way to Homer, Maggie was sitting on the edge of the sandbox looking confused at what was going on and nearly jumped in fright when she saw Lisa running full speed toward them.

"Dad! Get up!" Lisa yelled as she rushed to his side and started shaking him. He did not respond, Lisa quickly moved him on his back and felt for a pulse. There was one but it was faint and barely there. Lisa then did the only thing she knew would help him. She began CPR.

Lisa beat down as hard as she could on his chest and then breathed into his mouth, getting as much oxygen going as she could. She beat down on his chest twice, three times, and then four times before finally launching into hysterics and yelling at him to wake up.

"Dad please don't leave me!" she cried as she kept going.

"I called the ambulance and they are on their way, do you need any help?" asked Bart as he ran to see if Lisa was making any progress.

"Yeah call Mom and tell her Dad is not doing well, please Bart!" said Lisa tears falling down her face and she continued with CPR.

Bart ran back to the house while Lisa kept trying until finally Homer opened his eyes and let out a heavy cough. Lisa sighed with relief glad that he was finally conscience until he suddenly rolled onto his stomach and began to cough heavily. Lisa didn't know what to do this time but watched helplessly as Homer began coughing up blood. The cancer had finally caught up with him.

Lisa could only stare helplessly as Homer continued to cough and wheeze like he had just been pulled out of a rip current, she knew she could not roll him on his back, that would only make it worse. But her momentary worry was quickly lowered when she heard sirens coming down the road. Lisa ran to the front yard to get their attention so they could help her father as fast as they could. The fire department was the first to arrive and they ran as fast as they could to the back yard to administer to Homer. The ambulance came two minutes later and quickly took out the stretcher as Lisa led them to the back yard.

She watched as the fire department made Homer sit up while one of the paramedics injected an IV into him while another put an oxygen mask to his face to calm the cough. They were soon surrounding Homer and Lisa could not see what was going on, it was probably better that way though, she did not need to watch it all.

Lisa then looked toward the sandbox noticed that Maggie was still there watching the whole thing with curious eyes. Lisa calmly made her way over and picked her sister up.

"What's wrong with Daddy?" asked Maggie once she and Lisa were far enough away.

"He's very sick Maggie, the nice men are making him well," said Lisa as she quickly brought her over to the porch so as not to be too close to the action.

Before she even knew it, Homer was loaded onto the stretcher and the paramedics ran as fast as they could to the ambulance. Lisa followed them and watched as they loaded her father into the back and drove off, sirens blaring. Bart soon joined her, a look of concern on his face as the ambulance disappeared from view.

"Mom will be over shortly to pick us up," he said.

"Thanks Bart, you were very helpful," said Lisa who rubbed the tears out of her eyes.

One of the firemen made his way over to the kids and bent down to their level to give them an important talk.

"Your father had respiratory failure, hopefully the hospital will fix the problem and he will be okay," said the fireman.

"He has cancer, do you think that's what caused it?" asked Lisa nervously.

"Most likely and I am sorry you had to deal with this so early this morning but you three are very brave. Most kids would just stand there and cry until the mother came home," said the fireman.

"Thanks for all your help," said Bart.

"Is your mom coming home at all?" he asked.

"Yeah I called her, she say's she is on her way," said Bart.

"Would you like me to wait until she comes home?" asked the fireman.

Lisa looked over at Bart, she was not sure if they could handle being alone for a few more minutes. Bart was the brave one and he usually knew how to run things if there was a problem. Lisa did too but at the moment she was still in shock after trying to revive her father.

"Only if you want to, I'm okay running things until she gets here, she said she was just down the road," said Bart.

The fireman looked back at Bart with concern, it looked like he did know how to handle things but then he decided that staying around for a little while would be the best bet.

While the fireman talked with Bart for a few more minutes, Lisa went back inside and decided to grab her saxophone. She remembered a few months ago when her father was in the waiting room, ready to hear any new options about his cancer. She remembered how scared he was and that he had wanted to hear her play her saxophone to ease his worry. Perhaps today once things calmed down in the ER, he would want to hear some music. She ran up and grabbed it and came out just in time as her mother pulled into the driveway.

The ride to the hospital was spent in silence; Lisa could sense that her mother was very nervous about what had gone on. No tears were shed as she made her way to the hospital, she remained brave and calm about it.

They soon arrived at the emergency room and as calmly as Marge could, she made her way to the front desk. The nurse looked up at her ready to hear what the emergency was.

"My husband just went through here probably a little less than half an hour ago, his name is Homer Simpson, do you know where he might be?" asked Marge her voice low yet very upset sounding.

The nurse looked around at her charts in what seemed like ages to Lisa until finally she found what she was looking for.

"Oh yes, I remember him now, he came in about fifteen minutes ago. Unfortunately they had to give him emergency surgery," said the nurse.

Marge let out a worried gasp. "How long do you think it will take?" she asked.

"The doctor said about two hours or maybe longer but I will let him know you are here so he can talk to you once its over," said the nurse.

Marge thanked the nurse and wandered over to the waiting room. It was quiet in there for a Saturday morning but all four did not really notice. Maggie went straight for the toy area while Bart opened up a magazine about deer hunting. Marge only stared at the TV not really paying attention to what was going on, and Lisa was fiddling with her saxophone, hoping that her father would come out okay to hear a small tune from her.

As Lisa sat there with her saxophone she began to press down on the keys making a low clicking sound that sounded like some sort of rhythm to Maggie who also started to makes those sounds with one of the toys. Lisa watched as she pressed down on one of the keys of her Saxophone before Maggie touched a key on a toy piano. Maggie then looked up and smiled happily.

"Are you trying to make music Maggie?" asked Lisa.

Maggie only smiled as she let the beads click together on the toy and then tapped a small xylophone with a stick.

"Sing a song for us Lisa," said Maggie as she tapped on the beads again. Lisa knew she meant play the saxophone but Maggie didn't know the difference.

"What do you want to hear?" asked Lisa knowing that playing music would probably make everything go by quickly and that her worries would not be so high.

"Ummm….the Little Mermaid," said Maggie. Lisa could already sense the song would be one of her choices, that or some nursery rhyme which she was starting to grow out of.

"Okay I'll play it, but only if you sing it," said Lisa.

Maggie only smiled as Lisa began to play the first song Ariel sang in the movie. For a moment Maggie listened as she tried to remember the right words and when she finally did, the words came out differently but that was okay, a three year old was not expected to remember everything.

But The Little Mermaid was not the only song that Lisa played; Maggie of course wanted her to keep going. Soon there was a menagerie of Disney songs from The Lion King, to Toy Story, to even Beauty and the Beast. After a while though, Maggie began to forget the words and ended up making skit scat noises. Even Bart joined them by slapping his knees and adding some dialogue into the music.

Sometimes nurses and other people in the waiting room would come and see what all the commotion was about. Marge would give everyone a sheepish smile and wave, hoping that she was not in trouble. It was quite the opposite though and everyone enjoyed it, after a while some of the patients who had been waiting came out to watch as Lisa poured her heart and soul into the songs she played. They all laughed at Maggie for her cute dialogue and they all clapped at Bart as he did a few dance moves to go along with it.

It lasted a little over three hours before Lisa was suddenly stopped by someone's hand on her shoulder. Lisa let out a gasp as the saxophone let out a high pitched squeal before she turned around.

"Your father said he was happy to hear your music when he woke up," said the man.

It was Dr. Fisk, Dr. Hibbert's new intern who was now just starting to learn the ropes.

Lisa let out warm smile, her father made it out of surgery and had heard her let out all her energy.

"So he's okay?" asked Lisa.

Dr. Fisk looked up at Marge and then up at the group of spectators who were still gathered around. They all sensed that they needed to leave because now Dr. Fisk had to tell them the bad news.

Once everyone was gone, Dr. Fisk walked over to Marge and gave her a concerned smile one that seemed to show pity and sadness. Marge seemed to sense this and looked up at him as a tear fell down her face.

"The cancer finally caught up with him," said Dr. Fisk.

"W-What's going to happen?" asked Marge, the only question she could think of at the moment.

Dr. Fisk was about to respond but was quickly interrupted by Maggie who was asking Lisa for more music and was doing it with an outdoor voice.

"Maggie not now, I need to know what's wrong with Dad," said Lisa.

"But I want to hear 'when you wish upon a star," said Maggie as she tugged at Lisa's dress.

"Maggie!" Marge snapped. Maggie turned to her mother who gave her an angry glare; she instantly knew that now was not the time and quickly hushed up.

"Sorry, please continue," said Marge.

"It's alright, she's still young. We did exploratory surgery and the cancer spread to his lungs, we did a special procedure to get most of it out and extend his life a little longer but unfortunately it will come back very quickly, and doing any more surgery on him is just too risky. He now has to be on oxygen to help him breath and we estimate that he has only six months left," said Dr. Fisk with a heavy sigh. He had explained this to a few patients before since Dr. Hibbert told him it was good practice. He hated doing it though and Dr. Hibbert always made it sound so easy.

Marge sat there on the chair, stunned and eyes wide with the news. She didn't cry she only stood up and made her way out of the waiting room but stopped midway.

"I can see him now right?" asked Marge.

"He's in room 22A," said Dr. Fisk.

Marge slowly made her way to the room, the kid's right behind her, Maggie at the rear wondering what was going on.

"Are we going home now?" asked Maggie.

"No, we still have to see Dad," said Lisa.

Maggie said nothing, having a sick father was very confusing. No one really explained it to her and watching her family look upset around her father worried her. Why was he so sick and why couldn't he just take that yummy cherry medicine she took when she had a cold?

Marge was first to enter the room, bracing herself for what she was about to see of her husband. She was afraid he would not recognize her or be in total shock of what had just gone on. She let out a heavy sigh and looked over at him; he was awake and hooked to almost everything the family could imagine. There was an oxygen tube in his nose, an IV on his wrist, heart monitors and a large wrapping on his chest where the doctors had entered to look at his lungs. Dr. Hibbert was standing next to him with a concerned face; Lisa could tell he had just broken the news to Homer because he was crying.

"Homer?!" Marge called to him nervously.

Homer looked over at his wife, his eyes red from both the drugs and the crying, he looked so pitiful and in the worst state yet.

"I don't want to talk about it right now Marge,………… I just want to hear my daughter…… play a song for me," he said in a tired and sickly sounding voice. One that proved he had also been crying and he was starting to get the hiccups.

"Don't worry Homer; I won't say anything, just rest. You need to save your energy and try not to breathe too hard, you had some major surgery. Lisa would be happy to play for you though," said Marge as she came forward and stroked his bald head. Marge's soft hands began to sooth him as he let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes in rest. Dr. Hibbert quickly left the room to let them be together privately and to not disturb them.

Lisa stood there for a long moment unsure of what to play on her saxophone for him. She had played all the Disney songs she knew, save for "When You Wish Upon a Star," but her father would not want to hear that.

"Please Lisa," Homer said after a long pause.

Lisa knew she needed something happy or at least something not too sad or her father would probably sob even more and cause even worse problems with his breathing. Finally she decided to start playing random tunes while Homer listened. He let the tears flow quietly down his face while Marge stayed close by stroking his hand. Bart sat in a nearby chair with Maggie watching worriedly.

Homer stayed in the hospital for a week and half to make sure there were no complications with the surgery. Marge would come every morning and stay with him until later in the evening to keep him company. Lisa and Bart would often show up too to give him support and let him know that they were rooting for his recovery. Lisa would bring her saxophone along and Homer would listen before falling asleep.

Marge, Bart and Lisa were not the only ones who showed up. Grampa came one day and gave his son a heart to heart talk about how bad he felt for his son to be going through something he should have gone through first. Grampa admitted that a father should not watch his son die and the circle of life could be extremely cruel if it wanted to be. Of course Grampa rambled for far too long, Homer was too tired to really say anything but Marge could tell that his father's words were upsetting him. Marge finally told Grampa to go home and they would call him to let him know how Homer was progressing.

Lenny, Carl, Barney and Moe came around one day as well. It was mostly guy talk which Homer liked but after a while, Moe could not take seeing his best customer in the shape he was in and quickly walked out to the hall where he put his head on the wall and sobbed heavily. Lisa was the first to find him standing out there alone, together they talked about the great times they had with Homer until Moe had to leave and open up his bar.

Homer came home one cold Wednesday night. The family had a private ceremony to celebrate his accomplishment for surviving the ordeal and for Lisa who helped revive him. The doctor even said that if Lisa did not do anything fast then he would have lost his life that day. Lisa had saved him for another few months.

Together the family watched Homer's favorite movies, enjoying life and trying to forget their problems. Homer was asleep by nine that night though and Marge helped him make his way slowly up the stairs to bed. He would spend most of his days up there, until one afternoon a month after the surgery when Homer suddenly started having complications. Marge ended up calling the paramedics who rushed over and had to use a special stretcher to bring Homer down the stairs and into the ambulance.

Dr. Hibbert was very concerned about this and even suggested that Homer should stay in a hospice so that he could be better taken care of. Marge though did not want that and neither did Homer. Marge even said she would prefer to have him die at home with the family around him. The hospital would be okay too if moving him after a sudden emergency was not an option.

Finally Marge ended up buying a special bed for Homer and put it in the rumpus room where Maggie usually played. It was a quiet a peaceful place where Homer had access to a TV and the perfect place for him to just rest and not be bothered by anyone. Marge purposely bought a large enough bed for the two of them, even though her room was still on the top floor, she felt guilty leaving him alone at night in that room. Homer didn't want it any other way and was so glad his own wife still wanted to be by his side through the night, unless of course Marge had a cold, then she would sleep upstairs.

Even though he slept most of the day, Homer still tried to find a way to be in the living room while the children were watching TV or doing homework. He would sit quietly on his side of the sofa, either watching them or what was on the TV. Lisa remembered how at first she and Bart were not fond of him doing so, especially since his oxygen tank made that weird noise as it pumped air into his nostrils. To them it sounded a lot like Darth Vader but they soon learned to accept it, after all, it was keeping their father alive.

Lisa remembered the first time Homer actually came out of the room to be with them; Marge set him down and made him comfortable before heading back to the kitchen to make dinner. Lisa and Bart took no notice and continued to watch Itchy and Scratchy, they were both glad though that their father managed to come out and visit them for a bit.

"Dinner's ready!" Marge called when the food was finally ready about an hour later.

Bart jumped up and ran to the kitchen to grab his meal. Lisa soon followed but didn't go very far when Homer called to her.

"Lisa," he called to her in a low voice.

"Yeah Dad?" Lisa asked with a puzzled face.

"Can you help me get up?" he asked rather sheepishly.

Lisa stared at her father, for the first time she actually looked back at him and saw how sickly he was. He looked so haggard and worn out, his five o'clock shadow was now grizzly looking from rarely shaving. And those eyes, those eyes that used to be so full of life had now lost their shine and were nothing but dark circles. He did not look like the father she once knew, but a stranger.

Lisa moved forward cautiously, nervously as if he was a dangerous snake ready to strike or as if he would break if she got close enough. She reached halfway before stopping and looked down at the ground, not sure how she was going to help him out.

"Everything okay Lisa?" asked Homer.

"Yeah…… I'm okay…I just," she began.

"You're afraid you might hurt me?" he asked in a matter of fact sounding voice.

Lisa only nodded as she continued to stare at the ground. And she thought hearing her father give her a heart to heart talk was hard, this one was worse.

"Don't worry Lisa, I'm not as fragile as I look," he said as convincing as he could.

Lisa knew she had to help him up sooner or later and moved forward quietly, she had to stay strong like her mother. Carefully she grabbed his hand and then pushed him forward on his back with her other hand. As she did so, she was expecting him to feel heavy like he always had been, but instead he was so light it was almost as if she was lifting Maggie.

"You're so light," she finally said once Homer was on his feet.

As Homer leaned on his cane to balance himself, he looked back at Lisa and gave her a small smile. "Well that's what happens when a pound cake becomes nothing but air, it becomes angel food cake. Mmmmmm……angel food cake," He replied, Lisa thought it was very brave of him to think of it like that. At least he was trying to be optimistic like many of his friends tried to be.

Homer was able to attend a Sunday service two months after he had been told how much life he had left in him. He told Marge he felt fit enough to go and it was mainly because he hadn't been outside in a long time. Marge was more than happy to have him come with the family and when they arrived, everyone looked astonished to see Homer finally out even though it was in a wheelchair and hooked to an oxygen tank. When the service was over, all his friends came over to wish him the best of luck, they all hoped that he would survive the ordeal and that the doctors were nothing but phonies for believing he would not make it.

Moe and his friends were so proud of him for coming out that they invited him to the bar for a life party. Homer was too sick to drink beer now but all his friends wanted to at least celebrate his life with him and spend a few hours together just talking about the good old days. Homer spent almost three hours there before Marge decided that he had enough excitement for one day.

As the weeks went by, Homer became sicker and sicker. Soon he was too weak to even get up and spend some time in the living room with the kids. He tried his hardest though and it soon became normal for the kids to see him only two or three times a week in there. They would still visit him in his room but he usually fell asleep before they could even finish a game or movie. His frequent hospital visits were soon getting very worrisome; twice he came down with a terrible cold, one caused by Marge who tried her hardest to stay away from him. A hard thing to do when your husband needed help with almost everything he did. One of his colds was so severe that Dr. Hibbert thought he would die in a few days. He did end up getting better a week later but after that fiasco Marge was afraid she would wake up one morning to find him gone, especially since Dr. Hibbert informed her that he would most likely die quietly. Thank goodness it happened when she was awake enough for both of them to say goodbye.

Lisa then remembered when it finally happened one rainy afternoon, she had spent the afternoon with her friend Janey, they were watching a movie when Janey's mother got a call from Marge. Homer was back in the hospital again and Aunt Patty was going to pick her up to take her, Bart and Maggie to see him which they always did just in case. It was his last trip to the hospital and the last time she would have a heart to heart talk with her father. She remembered heading home after saying goodbye with Aunt Patty and Selma watching the rain fall from the car window and wondering how many hours he had left. She could not sleep that night and as soon as she heard the phone ring a little after four thirty in the morning, she buried her head under her covers and cried her heart out. She was glad his pain was gone but wished with all her heart that they would have fought harder to save his life.

There were now no more daddy daughter moments, no more listening to her father proclaim his greatest accomplishments. Only dreams would help her with that, but how often would those dreams come to her?

* * *

"Lisa?" a voice called to her. Lisa shook herself from her trance and looked down at Maggie who was looking up at her concerned eyes.

"I'm ready to go in now," she said.

Lisa gave a heavy sigh and suddenly realized how much cooler it had gotten that day; a storm was most likely coming in, bringing snow back to Springfield. What a lovely thought, she loved those days curling up with a good book and some hot chocolate as the snow fell around her. She just wished her father would share it with her.

"Yeah it is getting cold isn't it," said Lisa.

"Do you think it will snow soon?" asked Maggie.

"Perhaps, then we can go out and make snow angels together," said Lisa as she walked back to the house, Maggie was holding her hand in the process.

"I can't wait," said Maggie with excitement in her voice.

Lisa only smiled as she made her way in the house but then suddenly stopped short when she looked up at Bart's bedroom window. The window as open and Bart rarely left it open unless it was too warm in the house or if he forgot to close it as he snuck out.

Lisa gasped with surprise and ran into the house and up the stairs causing Marge to look up from her check balancing.

"What's wrong Lisa?" asked Marge.

Lisa did not respond, she only ran up the stairs to her brother's room and opened the door. As soon as she opened it, a heavy cold breeze rushed up and hit her in the face. She looked over at his bed and found that it was fully made and that Bart was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

A/N: Long chapter is long. I would like to thank Amy Tan for inspiration for this chapter. Amy Tan is a wonderful writer with novels that include _The Joy Luck Club, The Bonesetters Daughter, _and _The Kitchen God's Wife. _At the beginning of _The Kitchen God's Wife_, the main character tells about how her father lost his life to stomach cancer and in one paragraph she told of how he would ask for her to help him get up. I just had to use that, I just loved how she wrote it. I didn't mean to make this chapter so long, I just wanted to show what the family had gone through in those last five months, I could have added a lot more but I didn't want to make it too long or you guys would have gone nuts and slapped me upside the head.

Any way I keep forgetting to give you an update on my friend. I have good news and bad news. Bad news is he has jury duty. Good news is he can probably get out of that. Heh heh yeah. But more importantly, he had a small infection in his diaphragm and stomach causing him to get really bad hiccups. He went to the hospital where they drained it out and he is again doing much better. He believes he is on the mend now but it will probably still be a few months before he can actually come back to work. He did stop by for a visit at work and it was great to see him, he actually climbed our hill to talk to everyone at the administration office and that hill is huge, I still get winded when I walk up it. But still keep him in your prayers so that nothing else will go wrong and all of his problems will soon be left behind for good.

I'm not sure when I will update again, next week is the start of my two classes that I will be taking for two weeks, meaning long hours and probably lots of assignments. One of them includes field trips so that will probably take up most of my time but we will see. I promise I will be back by the beginning of July with a new chapter so please be patient and please review when you can.


	13. Does She Forgive Me?

A/N: Okay this chapter will be a flashback. This idea actually came to me at the last minute so if it seems out of place then that is the reason. I know that there are a few things from chapter 3 that I should probably fix now because of that, so when I get the chance I will. So try to ignore some of the problems and try to enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Ned paced back and forth in his kitchen and stared out the window at his backyard. There was nothing planned for the day, just to stay home and listen for any calls from the Simpson house. Marge would be gone all day for a court hearing and the kids were left alone with Homer. He would be their emergency contact if anything bad happened and he prayed that nothing would. For some strange reason though, he felt he needed to head on over to the house for a visit. The last time he saw Homer was at least a month or two ago when he went to church for possibly the final time. Ned didn't get to talk to him because everyone else was around him asking him how he was doing and that he was tougher than he looked. Ned felt so bad for Homer and he remembered when Marge told him that his health had fallen. She had been so strong when she said it and it made him wonder how they both handled it. At least they were able to say goodbye properly.

Ned let out a heavy sigh, Homer could die any day now and he hadn't had a chance to speak to him. He felt a proper goodbye was in order, but would Homer want to see him? They had never been in the best of terms and Homer never liked Ned's presence. But then again he was dying, maybe his perceptions were different.

"Daddy?"

Ned jumped with a start and turned around to find Rod and Todd standing there, wondering what their father was doing alone in the kitchen.

"Yeah boys?" he asked.

"Is there something in the backyard?" Rod asked in a curious voice, his father rarely stood around doing nothing like this.

Ned let out a sigh and then gave his two sons a warm smile. "No boys, I was just thinking," he said.

"About what?" asked Todd.

"Mr. Simpson, you both know how gravely ill he is right?" asked Ned.

The boys nodded, they knew perfectly well. Both had been a little startled seeing Homer in a wheelchair and using oxygen to help him live. It didn't seem right to see him that way.

"We've been neighbors for ten years now, yet we never really knew each other. We are such opposites," said Ned as he looked puzzled over his last sentence.

"But you still love him like God said you should right?" asked Rod.

Ned only nodded before looking back at his two sons, the only two things that mattered to him in his life right now. They were all he had left and they were so special to him. The looks on their faces told him that he should go over and talk to Homer one more time, tell him how much he cared and that he was praying for him.

"Will you two be okay by yourselves for about an hour?" asked Ned.

Rod and Todd both nodded before Ned walked out of the kitchen and to his front door. He was going to say goodbye to Homer Simpson.

Ned reached the Simpson's front door and gave it a light tap that was loud enough to hear. It wasn't long for him to hear shuffling coming toward him and the door being unlocked. He was not surprised that Lisa was the one to open it.

"Hi Mr. Flanders!" she said in a rather optimistic tone.

"Hi Lisa, how are you?" He asked politely trying to ignore the urge to use "diddly."

"I'm okay, do you need anything?" Lisa asked politely as Bart walked over to see who it was. He had a big peanut butter and jelly sandwich in his hand, most of the jelly was on his face and on his shirt. Ned only smirked at him; he seemed to be enjoying it.

"I came over to see your father, is he willing to see anyone right now?" asked Ned.

Lisa turned to Bart who took a huge bite of his sandwich while at the same time the jelly quickly splattered out and dropped on the carpet.

"I'll pick that up in a minute," he said with a bit muffled voice thanks to the peanut butter sticking to the roof of his mouth.

"Dad just finished his lunch didn't he?" asked Lisa trying to ignore Bart as he made a mess.

"Yeah, I was just about to help him back to his room," said Bart as he took a more dainty bite of his sandwich making sure he didn't spill any that time.

"Who's at the door kids," Ned heard Homer's low and tired sounding voice from the living room as he slowly made his way over with the support of a cane.

"It's Mr. Flanders, he wants to talk to you," said Lisa.

It wasn't long before Ned got a glimpse of Homer and he wondered how he could even stand. He was so thin now, strapped on his right shoulder was a bag to hold a small oxygen tank when he was not at rest, he wondered how he could even carry that without falling over. It looked like he had shaved a few days ago, he was not too grizzly looking but Ned knew it would be a while before he would probably shave again. Homer did not seem bothered by any of the things Ned noticed and as soon as he saw him, he let out a small smile and there was a small glimmer of hope in his tired eyes.

"Hi Homer," Ned said quietly.

"What no howdilly dodilly?" asked Homer with a small chuckle before leaning against Bart. Bart of course was not ready for this and let out a faint grunt as he tried his hardest to steady himself for Homer.

"I thought you wouldn't want to hear that," said Ned knowing how some people who were filled with medicine were either very grumpy or in a good mood. Homer seemed to be in a surprisingly good mood even though he looked exhausted.

"Well I haven't seen you in forever, its nice to hear a happy voice right now," said Homer. Ned could sense that being sick all the time, Homer was given a lot of sympathy especially from Marge and most likely the kids.

"Well howdilly dodilly then," said Ned with a grin.

Homer smiled. "You wanted to talk to me?"

"I did, if that's alright with you," said Ned.

"I don't mind but we will have to do it in the room, I am exhausted even though I've only been up for an hour," said Homer who then let go of Bart who of course was not expecting him to do it so soon and quickly landed on the floor. Ned helped him up.

"He does that a lot, I just wish he would warn me when he's about to do it though," said Bart as he rubbed his rump.

"It's entertainment though," said Lisa with a chuckle.

"It's good that you both are helping him too," said Ned as he smiled down at the kids. Lisa and Bart only gave Ned a concerned smile; he could tell they had done a lot for their ailing father.

Ned then turned to Homer who was slowly making his way to the room where he rested. Ned said a quick goodbye to the kids and followed Homer in. It was at a slow pace but Ned pretended not to be bothered by it and just stayed close in case Homer had a problem he needed to sort out.

They soon reached the rumpus room, a room Ned never remembered visiting and knew little about. He peered in to find a large enough bed for two that could be adjusted to let Homer sit up and watch a movie from the TV nearby. There was a chair next to it where Marge most likely sat when she didn't feel like laying in bed. There was also a large oxygen tank next to it and Ned watched as Homer made adjustments with his hose to connect it to that one instead of the small one that would probably only last for another hour.

Once Homer finished adjusting it, Ned watched as he slowly lifted himself on the bed. It looked like he was having trouble so Ned tried to offer a hand.

"You need any help?" he asked.

"No I think I got it," said Homer as he strained.

Ned watched as he tried to swing his leg up onto the bed but after a while, Homer realized he just could not do it and gave Ned a pitiful face.

"Yeah I guess I do need some help," said Homer sheepishly.

Ned made his way over and helped Homer lift one leg onto the bed before helping him with the other. Once Homer was on the bed, he let out a heavy sigh and lay against the pillow in silence for a moment. Ned stood there, wondering if maybe now was not a good time to talk since Homer had been up for an hour and probably needed his rest, he was about to mention that he was going to leave when Homer finally spoke up.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Homer asked.

"Well……… I felt that since I was the emergency contact right now… I……… I… just needed to say goodbye to you properly," said Ned as he nervously adjusted his glasses, they always seemed to fall down his nose when he was nervous.

Homer stared at Ned with as much surprise as he could give him under those exhausted looking eyes. He wasn't expecting to see his neighbor again, not after how he treated him.

"Close the door and have a seat," he finally responded in a rather stern tone.

Ned quickly closed the door and then made his way over to the nearby chair Marge sat in.

"I know we were never the best of friends but I still think it's a good idea to at least show you that I care for you and let you know that I have been praying for you," said Ned in a soft slow voice to show that he wanted to spend some time and talk to Homer if he wanted to.

"Oh have you now?" asked Homer who sounded a little upset that someone was praying for him, Ned backed away a little.

"Of course, I pray for everyone that needs it, and you need all the prayers you can get," he said.

"But do you see me getting better? Ever since that one day where I woke up struggling to breathe and ended up in the emergency room, my health keeps failing. I don't think God wants to help me, not even when you ask him and he is your best friend. Its like he wants me to suffer before I finally die," said Homer. Ned could sense that he was trying to show anger but in his weak state it sounded like he was only frustrated.

"Now Homer, don't think like that," said Ned hoping to calm him down a little. He did not want Homer get sick.

"Why not, I deserve it any way," said Homer as he crossed his arms.

"Why do you say that?" asked Ned.

Homer sighed heavily, letting his oxygen tank push some air into him before he continued. Ned quickly realized that he had a lot on his mind and Homer must have wanted to talk with him for a while.

"Because I ruined your life, I destroyed what was near and dear to your heart. I didn't realize how devastating it was for you until I saw Marge after I woke up from the surgery. Those eyes knowing how much longer I had left, that I wouldn't be there for her if she ever needed me again. He wants me to see what its like to die, He wants me to know what its like to fall to your death, only slowly and as painfully as possible," said Homer who then gave another heavy sigh while Ned heard the oxygen tank pump more air for him as best as it could.

"Homer it was an accident," said Ned in a low voice. He had forgiven Homer long ago for that incident even though Homer never did apologize for it.

"But does she forgive me?" asked Homer in a voice that made him sound like he was about to give up on life. As if he was already thinking about his life beyond the grave and whether or not he would spend eternity in heaven.

Just the way Homer said it though made Ned shed a few tears at such a horrible thought of him seeing Maude tell Saint Peter that Homer should not enter heaven because of what he had done. It was too devastating to think about.

"Maude rarely ever judged, she usually shrugged everything off and I am sure she will do that if you leave us," said Ned.

Homer sat there for a moment as he fiddled with his oxygen hose, pondering what Ned had just told him. He had wanted to apologize to Ned for so long, but his selfishness had pushed him back, now even after he realized that Marge was going to be raising three kids alone he was still finding it hard. But he had to say it.

"Ned I know it won't bring her back, but will you still accept my apology?" he finally said.

Ned stared back at Homer and his sorry shape, tears were now falling freely and it seemed to be contagious because Ned was now crying himself and it wasn't sure if it was for Homer or for Maude.

"Homer, I already have, I'm just glad you finally asked," he said while he wiped his eyes away of the tears and then gave Homer as soft pat on the shoulder.

Homer gave him a tear filled smiled back, he looked glad to finally get one burden off his chest. Too bad the other burden was killing him and not even an apology could destroy it. Ned was so humble and kind and he knew that Ned could help anyone deal with their problems.

"Do you think she will get lonely enough to find someone else?" Homer asked after a long pause.

Ned stared back at Homer, he wasn't looking at him but looking down at his sheets and he could see teardrops falling onto the soft linen. Ned could sense that Homer was worried about Marge falling in love with someone else and dying with someone else.

"You two have such a strong bond Homer; I don't think Marge could ever replace you. You've been together through thick and thin even after that incident with Lake Springfield you both managed to hold your love together. She told me about how she left you after you all found out what would happen and that you came back just in time to save us all," said Ned.

"Yeah, I couldn't live alone, I realized I had to support them or Marge would have ended up alone taking care of the kids on her own. Too bad that's gonna happen now any way," said Homer with another heavy sigh.

"You never know though, a miracle might happen," said Ned.

"Yeah I wish, then we would die of old age together," said Homer as he closed his eyes. Ned watched him realizing that he was most likely imagining old age with Marge and perhaps having grandchildren of his own.

"Don't worry Homer, Maude was my one and only, just like Marge is yours," said Ned.

"I truly hope so Ned, I truly do," said Homer.

Ned let out a sigh, he was so glad to finally catch up with his neighbor; he just wished that prayer would help like it usually did. But God was not answering it the way he should be when Ned asked for help.

"Can you help me with one more thing?" asked Homer causing Ned to get out of a trance.

"I would be willing to do anything for you Homer, just name it," said Ned.

"When I leave and if Marge needs anything, a shoulder to cry on, someone to talk to, anything like that would you help her?" asked Homer.

"Of course I would," said Ned.

"She's gonna be alone without me Ned. My children will no longer have a Daddy, their lives are already torn enough by this and now I have to leave them. I want to bounce back; I want to live the way I used to live. I know miracles can happen and I want them to happen, but the more I hope the weaker I become. I haven't had the strength this week at all to get up longer than an hour, I want to spend time with the kids but I just don't have the strength. All I can do is sleep, get up for short periods to use the bathroom or eat, and watch a short movie. I know I used to do it all the time but if I had to I would get up and do something for a while. The other day I watched a movie with the kids in the living room; I had a great time with them, when it was time for bed though I could barely make my way in here even with this House-like cane next to me. I had to lean on Marge for support, I just feel so bad for her that she has to go through with this, no wife should deal with this, not this early in life any way. She needs to deal with her own problems, not mine," said Homer who had strained so hard to tell Ned this without crying that he began to let out a heavy cough.

Ned jumped up, ready to do anything to help but luckily the cough subsided and Homer lay back on his pillow sighing heavily. The cancer had really done a number on him.

"I'm so sorry this had to happen to you," said Ned as he began to cry again. He had never heard Homer say anything so sad in all his life.

"And don't tell Marge about this conversation, it's only between me and you," said Homer once he cleared his throat.

"I promise," said Ned quietly and not afraid to let the tears fall down his face.

Homer only smiled before stretching out his arms to give Ned a hug, Ned quickly responded to the gesture, he knew Homer needed that. After a few moments of silence, Homer decided that a happier conversation was in order, one about the past when he was healthy and full of life. Together both men talked for a good two hours about some of their best memories together and celebrating life the way it had been before Homer's life was changed for the worse.

It was the last time Ned saw Homer alive. He remembered how the house was quieter than normal one morning a little less than a month later, but thought nothing of it. Sometimes families just needed a day to unwind and not show themselves to the world. He found out why two days later at church. He entered and noticed how everyone seemed quieter than normal that morning. Marge and the kids were not in their usual seats and usually that meant that they were either running late or something had happened to Homer. Ned only prayed quietly, hoping that everything was alright with the family.

Reverend Lovejoy soon arrived ten minutes later to deliver his sermon, for a few moments he shuffled his notes around while everyone waited to listen to what he had to say for the day.

"Before we begin our sermon, I would like to start a moment of silence for Homer Simpson," Lovejoy began.

Ned let out a gasp praying that it wasn't the news he was dreading and he hoped that Lovejoy would explain what was going on.

"For those of you who don't know, Homer Simpson passed away early Friday morning after being admitted to the hospital the afternoon earlier. Marge informed me that he passed away quietly and his funeral will be on Wednesday at two in this chapel. We will then commence with a burial afterward," Lovejoy seemed to respond to what Ned was thinking.

Ned only stared up at Lovejoy, hoping that what he had just heard was not true. All Lovejoy did was bow his head as the entire room became quieter than a lonely snowy field in the morning.

Ned quietly began to sob and prayed for Marge and the kids hoping that they were handling things the best they could. He knew they would not show themselves until the funeral and he knew it was best to leave them alone until that day.

He didn't expect to see so many people at the funeral, the casket was a lovely oak covered all around in beautiful lilies and roses. The casket was open so he at least got to say goodbye to Homer one last time. Marge and the kids were sitting in the front, Marge had her head on her sister Selma's shoulder while Bart and Lisa only sat there looking down at the ground trying their hardest to stay strong. Maggie was not there, Ned did not blame Marge for having her stay behind, it just wasn't the place for a three year old.

Throughout the funeral, different friends came up to offer a speech about how they would miss their best friend. Lisa of course also delivered one of the most beautiful poems Ned had ever heard, it was so eloquent and it made him hope that Lisa would one day become a writer.

But throughout the entire funeral, he would turn to Marge and see how sorrowful she looked, he wanted to hug her and tell her she was going to be alright but knew she needed her space, she was already surrounded by many friends who tried to help her feel better. In time he would go to her but not right away.

Ned remembered how through the first month he wanted to knock on her door and talk to her, help her the way Homer asked but he didn't have the heart to. He decided that Marge would come to him if she needed it. He prayed that she would find solace in the right person, he was a little surprised that it was him but that was what Homer wanted and he didn't want it any other way. But was it too much?

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Ned was thinking this as he sat alone in his living room on Monday afternoon. The mall manager had called asking Ned if he was opening his store. Ned got a little nervous when he heard this question. Did Marge get into an accident on the way over? Ned had looked outside to find her car still parked in the driveway, so she was home but why was she not at work?

He could sense it was because of that kiss on Friday night, she was probably embarrassed by what she did and was trying to hide from him; he had not seen her since that night. Ned of course found it odd for her to do such a thing but believed it was because of all that wine she had. Then again he had helped her through a lot in these past four months perhaps things were getting personal.

No that could not be true, it was too early for Marge, and Ned never actually felt an attraction to Marge, probably because she was already married and he knew better than to covet the neighbors wife. But it was a strange kiss; it felt sincere but was it love? Ned was now very confused, he had been around Marge a lot lately, helping her out any way he could and that was because Homer had asked him, as if it was his dying wish. Maybe Marge was showing affection and he hadn't noticed until now, he tried to go back into his mind and find anything small that Marge did that seemed loving. He could find nothing though, only her sad eyes looking for help over her lost loved one.

But Ned still did not understand what was going on. He had been replaying the final conversation he had with Homer in his mind since Sunday morning and he just wished Homer was standing there with him telling him if he was helping his wife too much. It was just so confusing and he knew he had to ask someone about this problem. He didn't want to go to Marge yet, he wanted to talk to someone else about that, and he knew the best person for the job would be Reverend Timothy Lovejoy.

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A/N: Yeah if you are confused at the end of this chapter, I am sorry; I confused myself several times writing this so you are not alone. This is most likely the last chapter to have a flashback and you will discover why later. These last chapters are going to deal with something interesting so now hopefully I won't feel that everything is getting repetitive. You are all probably wondering where Bart is; well he's not showing up again until chapter 16. So yeah I am leaving you all hanging about where he is. And now you all know why Ned is being so helpful too, plus I thought I needed a good Ned chapter since I've been heavy on the family and everything.

And yes I did update early mainly because my first class only has reading to get done, my other one is a different story, so I decided to finish this and then deal with what my one class is requiring me to do. So I will say that I have no idea when I will update again since next week is the last week but my teachers have finals that aren't due until a few days after the last class, yeah I find it wierd too. I will return full swing very soon though. I want to finish this story before the end of the summer or at least by the end of August just so I can focus on my studies once this thing is finally done. Any way I will stop yammering and let you all review. Hope you all have a nice week.


	14. Unanswered Questions

"What is it this time Ned?" Reverend Lovejoy's monotone voice exclaimed as he answered the phone.

"Sorry to bother you Reverend but I'm in quite a tight tizzy right now," said Ned as he played with the phone cord.

"Let me guess, you found a passage that contradicts another passage?" asked Lovejoy not even caring about anything at the moment; he just wanted to get some things at work done without Ned Flanders interfering.

"Reverend please, I really need your help!" Ned exclaimed in a voice that showed he was desperate for some sort of advice.

Lovejoy could sense that this was question out of the ordinary even for Ned, maybe this time it was interesting enough for him to help out. "I'm listening," he finally replied.

"Let's just say a friend asked me to help them in a situation, I did help them but now I feel that I have done too much, but I don't really know for sure," said Ned his voice going really fast even for Lovejoy to catch up to.

"Ned slow down and get to the point," said Lovejoy.

"How do you know if you've helped out too much?" asked Ned when he finally took a deep enough breath to ask the right question.

"……That is a tough one there Ned, I guess it's up to the person wanting your help," said Lovejoy, never changing the sound of his voice.

"But what if this certain person is no longer with us?" asked Ned.

"Then how are you even helping this person?" asked Lovejoy now sounding extremely confused.

"By helping his family," said Ned.

Lovejoy's eyes grew wide now realizing what Ned was saying. Ned did not mention any names but he sensed it had to do with Homer Simpson. He knew that Ned was letting Marge work for him and they were often seen together, his gossipy wife even said so. But what else was he doing with her that even Helen did not know about?

"I know God said to love your neighbor but how much should we love them?" asked Ned.

Lovejoy's eyes widened again when he heard what Ned had just exclaimed. Gossip was common among his household but this was something that no gossiping ears should hear and he was glad he was the only one listening.

"Ned I really can't see you disobeying one of the Ten Commandments," said Lovejoy.

"But loving your neighbor is in Matthew 19:19," said Ned in a confused voice, why bring the Ten Commandments up?

"Ned to love your neighbor means you love them as yourself, you know that and I know that. But if you love them more than life itself then you have a problem, you can break two commandments this way and God forbid if you disobey one of those," said Lovejoy in a sarcastic tone that even Ned knew it.

"Reverend I know I can get carried away over the littlest things, but that's who I am, I want to be the good person that others can look up to," said Ned in a serious enough voice that threw Lovejoy off for just a moment.

"………Then is it what I am thinking?" asked Lovejoy this was a very different conversation.

"I don't know Reverend, that's why I am asking for your help!" Ned replied in a voice that Lovejoy was not used to, one that sounded frustrated and upset.

This sudden change in Ned's voice caused Lovejoy to back up a bit, startled that Ned could carry a pitch like that. What could he say to the biggest Christian he knew and would the answer be right. Then again, the problem Ned was facing was not an easy one and Lovejoy now knew that it could not be answered by any random person. This one really did need an answer from an almighty source.

"What does your heart tell you?" Lovejoy finally answered.

Ned was about to respond when he thought about the question again. What did his heart tell him? So many emotions had gone through his mind when Marge pressed her lips to his that he was in shock for a whole day. He barely even remembered what had gone on at work the next day as he replayed what had happened over and over again in his mind. He was about to visualize Marge when Lovejoy interrupted him.

"Do you think you can handle this on your own now?" asked Lovejoy.

"Would I be crazy to ask who I am thinking about what they think of this?" asked Ned a bit sheepishly.

"It's up to you Ned, you can always wait until that person comes to you," said Lovejoy.

"I guess I'll have to find out," said Ned who then said a quick goodbye to Lovejoy and hung up the phone.

The room was eerily silent now as Ned leaned against the counter in the kitchen. He stared down at the marble coloring, thinking hard and not sure what to do. Slowly he lifted up his head and looked at a picture hanging on a corkboard; it was one of Maude smiling back at him like there was not a problem in the world.

"At least you're in a place that isn't complicated," sighed Ned as he took the picture off the wall and looked at it for a long moment.

It was one of Ned's favorite pictures of Maude, taken two years ago at a special church social. What he loved about the picture was how she seemed to glow in the picture like she was already an angel serving God. That's what he loved about Maude, she always had a certain glow about her, everything was perfect on her and she never got angry when something terrible happened. She always knew that God was in control and could take care of them in the worst situations.

He just wished that she was there with him right now, helping him figure out what was going on. Was the feeling love or just concern? He was not sure and of course Reverend Lovejoy did not help him any.

Ned set the picture back on its original position before taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. Life could get so complicated sometimes but that was life and that's what it did to you when you weren't looking. Finally Ned knew that he needed to get this sorted out and he knew the only way he could figure it out was to visit Marge.

Ned slowly made his way over to the Simpson's house. Snow was falling around him but it did not bother him, he was too nervous to make his way to the door with haste. He wanted to take his time on this and think about what he would say to her. But then again Marge would come up with something and lines would be ruined. It would probably be best to just play it by ear and hopefully things would be solved.

Ned soon found himself standing alone on the sidewalk staring at his neighbor's house. It was eerily quiet, almost like the morning Homer died, save for all the snowflakes that were falling around him. Was Marge okay? Were the kids okay? He knew he should have called her first to find out the easy way if she was alright but then again he knew it was best to talk to her face to face. That is, if she was okay. He was now just as worried as he was when he first got the call about his store not opening.

"Please let her be okay," he said quietly as he moved forward toward the door.

Finally Ned stood on the top step waiting for the right moment to knock. Finally he had the courage and was just about to tap on the door. Instead though the door swung open taking Ned by surprise causing him to loose his balance and fall face first on the floor.

"Ned!" Marge's voice exclaimed with surprise. Ned looked up from the floor and saw Marge staring down at him with a worried face. Her hair was back down again, only this time it looked a bit more scraggily and unkempt as if something had gone on during the weekend. She then pulled out her hand to give Ned a boost up.

"I'm okay Marge," said Ned deciding it was best not to grab her hand and help himself up. He then wiped the dirt away from his shirt as he stood up.

He then looked to see why Marge was at the door in the first place, there under her arms was Maude's sweater he had given her on Friday night to keep warm. She must have been on her way to return it.

"I know I was supposed to be at work this morning Ned and I am really sorry, but it's just been a very rough weekend," said Marge as soon as Ned was upright.

"It's okay Marge, I am just glad you are okay, I was getting concerned when the mall manager called. Are you that embarrassed about what you did Friday night?" asked Ned hoping that getting right to the point would make things easier.

"Yeah that's one of the reasons," said Marge as she looked down at the ground, a little too shy to look Ned in the eyes.

"Marge it's all behind us, you had more than your fair share of loopy liquor, and sometimes we do crazy things," said Ned hoping that the wine made her do it and not on some other impulse.

"Yeah I know but what made it worse was that Bart saw it happen," said Marge still looking at the ground.

"Oh dear," was all Ned could say. He remembered seeing a movie where a kid got all upset over seeing his mother with another man and caused a few problems, he wondered if Bart had done the same.

"But why don't you come inside, away from the cold and we can talk about this, maybe you can help me, even though you have done so much already," said Marge as she motioned Ned in. That's when Ned realized that coming to see Marge was a good idea even though she seemed more embarrassed about it than he was, he couldn't blame her though, it was a very passionate kiss. Ned knew though that he had to reassure her that things were okay, one of them had to any way.

"Marge, I have been here for you for the past three months, I am not giving up on you now," said Ned.

Marge only stared at him as she closed the door and brought him into the living room where she sat on one end of the couch and Ned on the other; ready to listen to whatever was going through her mind. Maggie was sitting on the floor playing with a touch and feel book giggling at the crackling sound one of the textures made. When she saw Ned, her face lit up and brought the book over to show him the fascinating pictures.

"Lookie Mr. Ned, it's an al-la-gator and look how shiny his skin is," said Maggie as she pointed to the alligator's crinkly skin and mispronouncing the word.

"Why it sure is," said Ned as he played along and touched the book.

"And if you turn to this page you can feel how soft a baby puppy is," said Maggie as she turned the page for Ned and pointed at the puppy on the page that was eating a bone.

"Oh very soft, just like Santa's Little Helper," said Ned as he touched it for Maggie.

"I don't think Santy is this soft," said Maggie as she continued to touch the fur.

"That's because he is not a puppy any more," said Ned.

"Oh," said Maggie with a puzzled look before taking the book away from Ned and sitting back down in the middle of the floor to touch more animals. She would be preoccupied for a while now and Ned knew that he and Marge needed to get back on topic.

"So what did Bart do?" asked Ned once everything was quiet.

"We got into a big fight, feelings were hurt and emotions ran high, he said things that I never knew he would say," said Marge.

"Do you need me to talk to him?" asked Ned.

"That would be nice Ned but you see, he ran away," said Marge.

"Have you filed a missing child's report?" asked Ned knowing that this was a big problem.

"No I haven't, he's run away before and he always comes back I just don't know when he will do so this time," said Marge in a guilty sounding voice.

"Did you tell him that it was a mistake?" asked Ned hoping that it was.

"I tried but he barely let me talk, he kept telling me that I was forgetting about Homer when I saw you and that I was being selfish," said Marge.

"But I am helping you get through this tough time, I tried telling Bart that too but I think his emotions are so bottled up he only sees what he wants to see. You are lucky to have someone like me to talk to, I had no one," said Ned as he looked down at the floor and gave a heavy sigh. None of his friends had ever lost a spouse when Maude died so he was on his own, searching for ways to get over his loss.

Marge looked down at the floor and closed her eyes for a moment, she was still so embarrassed and while she thought these things through over the weekend she kept wondering what would have happened if it was just a nice little dinner with Ned and both Homer and Maude were still alive. What would they think of that mess? She wished she wouldn't think about it any more.

"And I don't know why I even kissed you," said Marge nervously.

"We just had a great night and you had too much wine. Sooner or later we'll both forget it ever happened, just a long forgotten mess of a memory," said Ned trying his hardest to sound confident so Marge would not look so embarrassed.

"But how can I forget a kiss like that? You have very ticklish lips," said Marge with a little bit of a smirk hiding in among her nervousness.

"Ah the old push broom got to you did he?" asked Ned as he rubbed his mustache with his fingers, Marge could hear the little hairs brush up against each other.

"Yeah, so different from Homer, his was a little rough but I liked it that way, it made him feel manly," said Marge with a heavy sigh almost like she was imagining an evening with Homer in the bed and making sweet love.

"Yeah Maude loved it when my mustache was freshly trimmed she got all excited and would want me to blow into her ears and she would laugh like a little school girl, now that was heaven," said Ned who was now doing the same thing Marge was doing.

It wasn't long though before Ned quickly erased those memories and turned to Marge worriedly, she still had Bart to deal with. A lost child was more important than a strange romantic kiss.

"Should we go out and search for Bart?" asked Ned.

"No I think that will upset him further if he sees you with me, you see he also asked me a question that really made me think about the most all weekend," said Marge.

"What was that?" asked Ned with curious eyes wondering what sort of question would make Marge think about all weekend like he had done.

Marge looked back at Ned, how would he react to this question? What would he say? Would he laugh or would he just shrug like he always did? For a moment she had no idea how to start it, it was such a strange thing to say to a neighbor, let alone one that she barely knew until now.

"He asked me if I loved you," Marge finally said.

Ned stared back, eyes wide with surprise. It was almost the same question he had been asking himself and now he wondered if Marge was in the same predicament. Bart had been watching them the whole time and both were so oblivious to what had gone on they were not even noticing their actions. Ned looked back at Marge, her eyes filled with questions as to what was going on in only three months of talking things over. She seemed sad almost and Ned was not sure what to do this time.

"Now this is a dilly of a pickle," said Ned as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"We have been close lately," said Marge with a small shrug.

"But that's only because we share something that most neighbors have never shared," said Ned.

"And that's why I came to you, you went through something that I thought would never happen to me until I became an old woman. You don't realize how heavy a blow it is until you witness it yourself," said Marge.

"I guess fate brought us together," said Ned trying his hardest not to mention that part of it was Homer's idea.

"Yeah I guess we need to look out for each other," said Marge.

"That's what neighbors are for, that's why God invented them," said Ned.

"But is it what Bart thinks?" asked Marge.

Ned stared back at Marge; she was a lovely lady who had been through some of the roughest times a wife should never go through in two years. He felt she needed someone; it was hard enough for him to go through several months without Maude and without any help whatsoever. He had done what Homer asked but was he going too far? What would Homer think about all this, or Maude for that matter? Was he in love with Marge or was his mind playing tricks with him?

"What do you think?" he finally replied.

And Marge answered.

* * *

A/N: I am not going to lie to you, I despise this chapter! I had more problems with this chapter than any of them so far, mainly because I wanted to leave you guys wondering if they were in love and everything. I did that since I have seven more chapters to go and I don't want it to be known until closer to the end. So feel free to flame me all you want, I know there has to be some of you out there who want to do so, so here is your chance go right ahead.

Hopefully the next chapter will not be as bad; I plan to have Grampa in it so it might be silly. And I hope to update every week so be on the lookout. Oh and before I forget my last fanfiction on here, **I Had a Cat Named Snowball**, is just sitting there collecting dust and I seriously doubt I will pick it up again. I am thinking about deleting it but before I do so is anyone willing to take it under their wing and write it themselves, you can do whatever you want with the rest of the story. I never had very good plans any way. So either let me know in the review or send me a message, we'll figure out how to transfer the story and stuff.

Well I hope you all have a nice week and don't forget to review, I like reviews. Hee hee.


	15. Finding Bart

Lisa stood by the doorway of Mr. Mardel's sixth grade classroom, waiting for the grumpy middle aged teacher to let his classroom out for the day. He always seemed to make them stay a bit longer which was something Bart complained most about in that class. Lisa had not seen Bart at all that day, she knew he wouldn't be if he had run away but she had seen Milhouse and knew that when Bart ran away he was usually with him. She just needed to find out if he was okay.

After standing for a good five minutes, the door finally opened, the first sixth grader walked out looking a bit annoyed that he had to stay an extra few minutes, even Martin was showing it which was a bit odd for him. They must have been given extra homework assignments.

It wasn't long before Milhouse appeared and he immediately looked at Lisa with a surprised face almost like he had not seen her in years or he was up to something.

"I thought you had appointments all day?" asked Milhouse as he made his way to his locker.

"Did Bart tell you that?" asked Lisa.

"Yeah he said you both had doctors appointments and a dental appointment all in one day, I kept thinking that your mom really wanted to make your life miserable today," said Milhouse while at the same time he rummaged through his locker looking for what he needed.

"Well we did not have any of that today, Bart lied to you and I am guessing it is because he does not want you to slip your tongue and reveal where he has ran off to," said Lisa with a serious voice.

"You mean he ran away?" Asked Milhouse in a surprised voice.

"Yeah he ran away Saturday morning, he didn't tell you that?" asked Lisa.

"No, he just told me that your mom wanted some quiet time so he came over to spend the night on Saturday, we ended up playing a few pranks on Mr. Burns and watched some scary movies. He stayed until Sunday afternoon and told me he was wanted home, he didn't really talk a lot this weekend, he seemed really down in the dumps," said Milhouse.

"So he didn't sleep over with you last night?" asked Lisa sounding a bit concerned but also annoyed after hearing that her brother had also caused trouble with Mr. Burns again.

"No, he said that you were all expecting him home," said Milhouse now feeling a bit nervous about this whole conversation as if he needed to know a dirty little secret.

Lisa let out a sigh; Bart had stayed somewhere else last night and would probably do it again tonight if he was not home yet. She knew she had to find him though and straighten things out. She was just about to reply to Milhouse when she heard Todd Flanders call out her name. She turned to the sound of his voice and saw him running over to her along with Colin her Irish boyfriend.

"Are we still gonna practice for the rehearsal tonight at your house," asked Todd once he was in earshot.

Lisa slapped herself in the face. She had totally forgotten about the school recital that would happen in two weeks. She had been more concerned about Bart all day that she forgot she had made a date with Todd and Colin.

"How could I forget that?" she asked herself as she thought about what to do. It was important to practice everything, but then again, where was Bart and would he listen to her?

"Is there something else on your mind Lisa?" asked Colin.

"Yeah, Bart ran away after an argument with my Mom," said Lisa.

"Didn't like the evening with my Dad?" asked Todd.

"How did you know?" asked Lisa in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"Dad seemed really confused all weekend and I asked him what the matter was, he only said he was trying to figure out what had gone on Friday night. Something must of happened," said Todd.

"Yeah, and Bart is very angry at her I even heard the fight and it was not pretty," said Lisa with a sigh.

"I knew he would tell your mom how he felt at some point," said Milhouse who seemed to have said too much because now Lisa was rubbing her face not wanting to hear any more of it, she just wanted to find Bart. Milhouse did not get the message and was about to say something else when Todd gave Milhouse a face that told him that he needed to keep his mouth shut.

"Do you want to meet another time then?" asked Colin.

Lisa looked at both Todd and Colin; both seemed to show concern on their faces knowing that family was more important than band practice, the recital was two weeks away any way, they still had plenty of time. They had seen her get distracted throughout the day so her brain was not on school time.

"Would you both be alright working without me?" she asked.

Colin looked at Todd curiously to see what he would say. Todd only nodded at the idea that Lisa needed to find Bart, they could practice together without her for a bit.

"I'm okay with that," said Colin.

"Me too, maybe I can try and get Rod to be you for a while," said Todd with a silly grin.

"Good luck with that," said Lisa with a giggle as she thought about Rod trying to blow into an instrument he did not know how to play.

"Oh good you made her smile," said Colin with a big grin. Lisa only blushed before deciding that she needed to get a move on to find Bart.

"Todd can you tell my mom that I am out looking for him, I'm gonna try a few places and see if the people around there have seen him. And Milhouse, if you see Bart please tell him to come home because Mom is very worried," said Lisa.

Both Todd and Milhouse nodded before Lisa ran down the hall towards the main entrance, hopefully she would find her brother before nightfall.

* * *

It was starting to snow heavily as Lisa pedaled her bike through the sidewalk toward her Aunt Patty and Selma's apartment, it was an odd idea to believe that Bart had been there but it was always good to check. She hoped to get the search over with quickly so it would not be too difficult getting home on her bike. She just hoped that Bart would listen to her and hoped that she could convince him to come home. Having all girls in the house just didn't seem right; Bart needed to be there to complete everything even if he was being too overly dramatic.

Lisa soon reached the apartment and ran up to her aunt's door. She gave a quick knock and Patty was the first to answer with a cigarette in her mouth and a very grumpy look on her face.

"Oh good, Lisa is here to unclog the drain for us," said Patty.

Lisa gave a disgusted look as Selma came forward with her purse obviously trying to bribe her into it.

"We'll give you ten dollars to unclog our shower," she said.

"Do I have to?" asked Lisa who was really not sure how to respond to that.

"It would mean a lot if you did, I bet Bart would do it," said Patty.

"Where is that boy any way?" asked Selma as she stepped out of the hall to look around.

"That's why I came to see you, has he visited you two lately?" asked Lisa with hopeful eyes one that immediately told Patty and Selma that something had been going on with their little sister and her kids.

"Not since last weekend when we invited you to dinner, what's going on?" asked Selma.

"He ran away after Mom went to dinner with our neighbor Mr. Flanders," said Lisa.

Patty and Selma both stared at Lisa, they had known that their little sister had been seeking help from Ned Flanders; they just didn't know how serious it was.

"What did she do with him any way?" asked Patty.

"Mom said it was a thank you dinner for all his help which I thought was kind of nice. Bart of course thinks she went out with him because they are in love, but I really don't think Mom would do that, she loved Dad or still loves him. How does that even work?" said Lisa with eyes that told Patty and Selma that this current situation was really upsetting her.

"I think you can still love someone if they are six feet under, it's hard but you know how lovers are. So your mother loves him dearly, you saw how she always stood up for him when we treated him like crap which of course we feel bad about now, not all wives will do that, usually they just take the pressure," said Selma.

"Yeah I know, I guess I am just scared for Bart right now, he could be hurt and we don't know where he is," said Lisa as she tried to hide her worry.

"Well keep looking for him, we'll find someone else to unclog our drain and be careful, it's gonna get really cold and icy tonight," said Selma.

"All the more reason to find him," said Lisa as she quickly left her aunts and headed down the hall and out of the apartment complex.

* * *

Her next stop was to try the Springfield Retirement Castle. Bart had been known to visit Grampa for the past four months just to keep the old guy company; he seemed to need it after loosing his only son. Lisa skidded across the parking lot as she arrived and looked around for the familiar pink sedan that was in her grandfather's possession for the time being. She found it on a corner already covered in snow and with a brand new dent on the back bumper. She saw him two weeks ago so this must have happened just recently and she wondered what he had backed into to create such a noticeable dent.

Lisa set her bike up against the door and then made her way in, it was dinner time so Abe and his small group of friends were in the dinning room enjoying some corn and complaining that the meat was too soft. Usually it was the other way around; their medications probably got mixed up.

It didn't take long though for Abe to finally get bored with his problem, now that Lisa was here, he had more interesting things to take care of.

"Well I'll be damned! Two grandkids come to visit in one day, lets see your grandkids do that Jasper," said Abe with an excited voice while taunting Jasper at the same time.

Lisa's eyes lit up when she heard that, Bart had come to visit earlier to see Grampa.

"Bart was here?!" she asked with a surprised voice.

"Oh ya, he left about an hour ago, said he was needed home to help with dinner," said Abe.

"Oh I really hope he did that," said Lisa happily as her eyes lit up while Grampa took a big bite out of his meatloaf.

"Didn't talk much but it was nice to see him," said Abe.

"He told us how Battleship really works," said Jasper.

"It was Colonel Mustard in the submarine with the Knife who sunk it," said the Old Jewish Guy that no one seemed to know the name of.

Lisa only rolled her eyes; of course Bart would do something crazy like that.

"You want to teach us anything Lisa?" asked Abe.

"No I just came in for a quick hello and to find out if Bart was here, I also noticed the big dent in the car," said Lisa.

Abe quickly jumped up when she said that and quickly pointed his finger at Jasper. "It was Jaspers fault; he took the wrong pills and went on a joy ride in the parking lot. He backed into a dumpster before he floored it and ran over a squirrel!" Abe exclaimed while Lisa just watched with fascination at the tall tale her grandfather was telling.

"That squirrel was good though," said Jasper.

"Nah there were too many bones," said the Old Jewish Guy.

Lisa quickly made a face at the idea of three old men eating a dead squirrel that was no doubt tenderized and seasoned by a rubber tire.

I better get going," she finally replied.

"Don't go yet Lisa, I have one more question to ask you," Abe said as he jumped up and had his back toward her.

"……Okay?" Lisa said curiously.

Abe rolled his shirt up a little before pointing at a big giant mole on his back, one that would make any one get turned off just by looking at it. "You know Jazz, what does it look like Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Holiday?"

* * *

Lisa made her way out of the retirement home a little disgusted by what she heard and saw but also glad that Bart had been seen by someone else, at least he was talking to someone. She passed by a payphone and quickly decided it might be best to call her mother and find out if Bart had really made it home, the retirement home was only twenty minutes from the house, he could be home by now and if he was, Lisa could stop the search and head home herself.

Marge was quick to answer, which was surprising because she could hear Maggie yelling about something in the background.

"Grampa said that Bart was coming home, has he really done so?" asked Lisa with a little bit of excitement in her voice.

"I haven't seen him, he might have snuck into his room without me knowing it though, let me go check while you say hi to Maggie," Marge said in a rather frustrated tone, obviously Maggie was being a handful tonight.

Lisa could hear her mother pass the phone to Maggie who quickly responded with a silly giggle.

"Who is this?" she said.

"It's Lisa," Lisa replied in a matter of fact voice.

"Hurry up and come home, Santy won't play with me," said Maggie in a voice that sounded a little annoyed but happy all at once.

"I will soon Maggie, I just have to find Bart," said Lisa.

"Maybe he went to Heaven to see Daddy," said Maggie.

At that moment, Lisa wished that Ned Flanders never told Maggie about Heaven. It now made her worried, especially since Bart could be any where and he could be in a dangerous situation.

"I don't think so Maggie," said Lisa sounding a bit frustrated by what she said.

"Well I don't know where he could be, I don't go out much," said Maggie in a pout that made Lisa giggle a little.

"Well one day I will take you to all sorts of places," said Lisa.

"Yay!" Maggie exclaimed before she suddenly let out a moan that she obviously inherited from Homer. Marge had taken the phone away from her.

"The room is still the way it was Lisa," said Marge in a sad voice.

Lisa let out a sigh, Bart had lied again, where he was now was making Lisa nervous. "I guess I will keep searching," she said.

"Lisa I think its best to let Bart come home on his own," said Marge obviously wanting Lisa home before it got too cold.

"Mom I know you are worried about him and I am too, what if something happened to him?" asked Lisa.

"I try not to think about that Lisa, but Bart is not going to show his face even if you look in the place he is hiding, if we do not hear from him by Wednesday we will call out a search party," said Marge.

"But Mom, he needs someone to talk to about what happened, I know I can convince him to come home and I know you can tell him it was a mistake if I tell him to listen to you," said Lisa.

"I know you can Lisa but it's late, the snow is starting to come down and I have dinner waiting," said Marge in a voice that was stern yet soft. It was still not enough to get Lisa to listen though.

"But I'm scared for him Mom," said Lisa.

Marge let out a murmur that Lisa could tell she was in no mood for arguments at the moment. Lisa sensed that she better obey, she did not want to get into a fight with her mom, she had enough of that already.

"Okay Mom, I'll be home soon," said Lisa in a dejected voice.

And with that Lisa hung up the phone and headed out the door where her bike was waiting on the side of the wall. There was now a small coating of snow on it and Lisa quickly brushed it off before mounting herself on it and making her way home, hoping with all her heart that Bart was in a safe place and that he would come home soon.

* * *

A/N: Eh I have mixed feelings about this chapter, for one thing I love the part with Grampa but the ending is just blah. I actually had three different endings to this and this one I felt was the best way to end it, it wasn't too sad and it still left you in question. Originally I was going to have Lisa visit Homer's grave again to see if he had been there but I just didn't want to end it that way. I also had a part where she went to Moe's bar but I had the characters ramble too much. So yeah there you go, the next chapter will be more interesting I hope any way.

Well please review when you can, let me know what you all think and all. Next chapter will be up in a week so have a nice week.


	16. Comfort and Anger

Due to the snow, school was cancelled the next morning. Lisa spent most of the day sitting by the window reading a book and waiting to see if Bart would show up. Around lunchtime, Lisa ended up calling Milhouse to find out if Bart had made his way over there. Milhouse said no but for some reason his voice seemed to say yes. If Bart was there, that was fine with her; she just wanted him to be in a safe place that was warm and not so lonely. She made sure to tell Milhouse to let Bart know that the girls were worried about him.

To help keep her mind off Bart, Lisa went outside to play with Maggie in the snow. They built a snowman, built a fort and even chased Santa's Little Helper through the snow. Marge would watch from the kitchen window, glad that Lisa was trying to take her mind off the problems that were going on. She wanted Bart home just as badly as Lisa but knew that he needed his space and that he could come back when he wanted, hopefully without a fight.

The evening came and Lisa lay in bed listening for any sounds coming from the house that might be from Bart. She had done so for the past few nights but the house was as silent as the auditorium when Superintendent Chalmers came for a visit to talk with the children. She was about to give up and nod off into sleep when she suddenly heard a noise.

Lisa sat up quickly and listened, she did not know how long she stayed still but by the time she did hear something again, her back felt very stiff. It was the unmistakable sound of Bart coughing and it was coming from the tree house.

Knowing how the tree house lacked the important essentials, she quickly grabbed a pillow and one of her quilts that Grandma Bouvier made and dragged it downstairs where she made some hot chocolate before quietly exiting out the back door to be with her brother.

Lisa then climbed up the tree house and as soon as she peered in, she found Bart sitting alone in the far corner looking terrible. He wasn't wearing anything to keep him warm save for a long sleeve shirt and some pants, his hair looked very stringy and unkempt. But what Lisa noticed first were Bart's eyes, they were red, he had obviously been crying.

"Hey Lis," he said in a voice that was very raspy and sick sounding.

"Oh Bart you sound terrible!" said Lisa as she quickly gave him the quilt to keep warm with. Bart took it from her and wrapped himself up tightly with it. He did not look up at her; he only looked at the floor while she saw tears forming in his face.

"Have you been here this whole time?" Lisa asked hoping to get something out of him.

"Only at night," Bart replied while Lisa tried to hand him the hot chocolate, he only pushed it away.

"But where were you today?" asked Lisa wanting to get a straight answer from him. She would not tell her mother unless Bart wanted her too.

"Nowhere that concerns you, now leave me alone," said Bart as he covered up his whole body with the quilt.

If it were a different situation, then Lisa would gladly have left her brother alone but the situation did not call for that. She had been worried sick for him for the past few days, she wanted to talk to him and hopefully get him to understand what was going on. Lisa leaned forward and peeled the quilt off of Bart's face and looked down at him. As soon as his face was in view, she saw that he was looking up at her and his face contorted as he tried to keep himself from crying.

"Bart, you've held it in longer than anyone. You can't do that forever, you need to let your emotions out. I am here to listen and to give you a shoulder to cry on," said Lisa.

Bart stared at her for a moment like a lost puppy alone in an alley meeting its first human. For a moment Lisa thought he was going to get up and run, instead he went full force at her and began to cry heavily on her shoulder. As he did so, Lisa could feel how hot his face was and noticed how nasally his throat sounded. He was getting sick and she knew she had to talk him into coming home. But letting him cry his heart out was more important at the moment.

"He's gone Lisa, he's gone and I'll never see him again," cried Bart after five minutes of heavy sobbing.

"I know Bart," said Lisa quietly.

"We watched him die and we could do nothing to help him. My last vision of him was him waving goodbye to me and I could see it in his eyes that he wanted to beat this, he wanted to see us grow up. He was in so much pain Lisa," Bart cried, this time looking Lisa in the eyes as he did so. It was so sad to hear what he said that even Lisa began to cry.

"That's why we need to stay strong Bart, he would have wanted that," said Lisa as she tried to wipe a few tears out of her eyes.

"What do you think I've been trying to do!" exclaimed Bart in a frustrated voice that was enough to make him cough heavily and reveal the extent of his cold. Lisa tried to ignore it at the moment.

"Not that strong Bart, its okay to cry, no one will see you as a sissy. There are times when you need to let your emotions go, show how much he meant to you," said Lisa as she stroked Bart's hair. Bart let out a heavy sigh, letting his sister comfort him for a moment while he continued to sob quietly.

"I know I didn't show it, but I loved him, he wasn't the best father but he knew how to take care of us and that's what really mattered," said Bart once he felt calm enough to continue.

"We all loved him, you saw how many were at his funeral, he really made an impact on everyone," said Lisa.

"Then Mr. Burns ruined it, but that reminds me, you should have seen the look on Mr. Burns' face on Saturday when me and Milhouse decided to do the money on the string trick to him. We saw him walking down the street so I took out a dollar and dragged it on the sidewalk. He followed it before he ran into a pile of manure in the park, it was hilarious," Bart laughed between the tears and the soreness in his throat.

Bart quickly stopped laughing when he saw Lisa stare back at him with an angry glare. "I know it makes you feel better to pull pranks on him, but revenge is not the answer, it doesn't help anything," said Lisa in a very serious voice.

"Don't start to sound like Mom Lis, next thing I'll know you'll stick up for Flanders and start calling him Dad," said Bart angrily.

"Bart, what Mom did was a mistake, she had too much to drink that night and was probably reminiscing about Dad and forgot who she was kissing. She loved Dad, she always will, I don't ever see her loving anyone else. He is only helping her ease the pain," said Lisa trying to remember the words Homer told her on Friday night, it was so long ago though that she was starting to forget everything he told her.

Bart gave her a cold icy stare as he stood up and faced her, Lisa backed away a little, startled by his sudden burst of anger and unsure of what her brother was about to do. Surprisingly he stayed where he stood the quilt wrapped around his shoulders for warmth.

"She told you to say that didn't she!" Bart exclaimed in as much anger as he could muster.

"No Bart……" Lisa was about to say more when Bart threw the quilt at her obviously trying his hardest not to do anything drastic.

"She does love Flanders and you want to become Lisa Flanders just like that time he tried to baptize us, he's gonna try for that again and the next thing you'll know, Mom will be married to him and we will be step siblings to those two halfwits Rod and Todd. I don't want that Lisa, I want to be a family again……………," Bart cried as the tears began to fall down his cheeks again. Bart then let out a frustrated groan and sat against a corner before covering his face between his knees. "…………I want our Dad back."

Lisa moved forward slowly, even though he was angry at her, she was still willing to help him. Bart didn't move as Lisa bent down to his level and patted his back, letting him cry his heart out again. She could sense that he was scared, afraid of what would become of everyone around him. His life had changed enough and being the man of the house was harder than it looked.

"It's really not what you think Bart, Mom loved Dad and I don't think she wants to replace him with anyone. If you talk it over with Mom she will also tell you that. Why can't you listen to what she has to say, I bet she would be willing to talk, besides she is worried sick about you, we all are," said Lisa trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Because if I do talk to her she will tell me that she is in love with Flanders, no matter what you tell me. And she will tell me that I will have to learn to accept that and I just don't want to hear it and I want her to know that's how I feel," said Bart as he got back up and walked over to one of the openings in the tree house and leaned on the edge watching the clouds slowly part revealing a few stars.

"By not coming home?" asked Lisa.

Bart nodded. "I'm not coming home until she knows that she made a bad choice in falling in love so soon again."

"But talking is the best answer, not moping around in a tree house getting sick and acting like a baby," said Lisa now getting frustrated with Bart's response.

"Dad's only been gone for four months, four months and already she is trying to love again, it's too soon. If her love was so strong with him, why is she doing this?" Bart asked while he stared up at the sky as if he was finding answers from up above.

It was now too much for Lisa to take, Bart was not listening, he was only thinking about himself and what his future held for him, no one else. As a last resort, Lisa moved toward Bart and grabbed him by the collar. As hard as she could, Lisa slapped Bart hard on the face, enough for him to fall back and then stare back at her filled with shock.

"AREN'T YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ANYTHING I SAY?" Yelled Lisa, her face filled with anger.

"Yeah I should talk to Mom," said Bart after a moment of bewilderment

"Then go do it right now," said Lisa, her eyes blazing.

"You're not the boss of me!" said Bart still rubbing his sore face.

"I can if I want to be, and I have been, you should know from experience since you learned that the hard way," said Lisa as she recalled the time she had to baby sit Bart when their parents went out for a romantic night together.

"Yeah well I still don't have to listen to you, I'm two years older and I decide what I should and shouldn't do," Bart yelled, his nose pressed up against hers, still defending himself.

"Then you should act two years older than me, right now you are acting like Maggie, like a little THREE YEAR OLD!" Lisa cried out making sure Bart heard her loud and clear.

"Yeah well you're acting like our Mother who you are not. You don't want to be a whore do you," said Bart.

Lisa backed away this time, she was so angry at Bart's response she wanted to throttle him. She knew doing so was not the answer, especially to a Buddhist like her, so she had to stay back a little to keep herself from hurting him.

"Take that back Bart," Lisa said as calmly as she could.

"Hell no!" said Bart.

"Take it back NOW!" Lisa screamed, it was probably loud enough for all the neighbors to hear, even Ned.

"I said hell no," said Bart he was now backing away and making his way toward the steps of the tree house.

"Bart, why are you being so difficult?" Lisa sobbed. Tears were now forming in her face as she wished that he would take a moment to listen to her. He was being stubborn and was only thinking about his problems.

"Because I know I am right about this," he said as he now began to climb down the stairs.

"You're just being stubborn, and where the hell are you going?" asked Lisa as she watched him climb down the stairs.

"Somewhere where you won't bother me," said Bart as he made his way through the snow. Lisa quickly climbed down and began to follow him.

"Bart you can't hide from your feelings forever, you need to come home, Mom needs you, Maggie needs you, …………I need you. We are like a broken link to a chain that can only be fixed if you come back and fill it," said Lisa now trying desperately to get him to turn around and talk to her even if she had to use a silly simile.

Bart continued to walk away for a moment, not looking back. He finally stopped as he rounded the corner and then looked Lisa in the eyes, they were filled with sadness but also they had so much anger in them.

"Our family was broken the day Dad died, it will never be fixed," Bart said before walking away again while Lisa stood there in the snow watching him leave, making his way hopefully to Milhouse's where he would be warm and safe.

When Bart finally disappeared, Lisa let out a heavy sigh and looked up at her mother's bedroom window. Marge was standing by it staring down at her with a worried and unhappy face. Lisa wiped a tear from her eye and shook her head, knowing that what her father told her had failed. She only hoped that someone else could get it through Bart's head that things were not what he thought. But who else could?

* * *

A/N: I am so glad this chapter came around when it did, it helped me let off some steam after a very busy weekend at work for me, if you want to read about an experience I had at work, feel free to visit my Deviant art page, link is located in my profile. I just hope that whatever these two said came out the right way and that you all enjoyed reading it. I know the beginning was a little weak so I apologize for that, I just didn't want to start any conversations and I seemed to be out of descriptions for that part. So what's going to happen now you ask? Well I won't tell you, you have to wait and find out, you might be a bit surprised.

Well please remember to review, it makes me all warm and gushy. Share your thoughts and make predictions, I want to see if anyone gets these predictions right and I like hearing everyones thoughts on the matter. Hee Hee. Well see you all in a week.


	17. A Plan Backfired

Lisa was on a mission, her bright eyes staying focused on the task ahead of her as she trudged through the snow. She was heading over to Milhouse's place and no one was going to stop her from doing so. Once again, school had been cancelled for the day; it had snowed again overnight, leaving another three inches on the ground and making the streets treacherous. But Lisa did not care, she had her sights only on one thing and that was her brother.

She had talked to her mother earlier that morning about the talk she had with Bart in the tree house. Marge had heard the last part of their conversation when Lisa yelled at Bart for calling her a whore, Marge said that Lisa handled the problem well and that she wished Bart would have listened to her. Both of them admitted that Bart needed to come home, Marge was thinking about calling the police to get him to come back, but Lisa felt that she could try again and this time she would not give up. If Bart had to be dragged home then that was what she would do, she was not going to walk away from anything this time.

She finally reached the Van Houten house and rang the doorbell waiting with anticipation for someone to answer, she wanted to get this over with and hopefully get Bart to listen. It wasn't long before she heard someone make their way to the door and a few seconds later, Mrs. Van Houten appeared. She instantly gave Lisa a smile, happy to see someone else over to be with Milhouse.

"Hello Lisa," she said warmly.

"Hello Mrs. Van Houten, is Bart here?" asked Lisa in a calm tone trying her hardest not to sound like she was on a mission.

"Oh you just missed him, he and Milhouse decided to go play somewhere else," said Mrs. Van Houten.

"Do you know where that might be?" asked Lisa.

"I'm not sure, but I heard Bart say something about Mr. Burns' hedge," said Mrs. Van Houten.

Lisa looked back at Mrs. Van Houten with a confused face, it was a strange thing for anyone to hear and after thinking about it for a moment she soon realized what Mrs. Van Houten probably meant. Bart was playing tricks on Mr. Burns again.

"I better get going," said Lisa worriedly and without saying goodbye to Mrs. Van Houten, she ran as fast as she could to find Bart. All she hoped for was that Bart was not doing anything drastic and that he would not get into any trouble.

Lisa soon reached the outside of Mr. Burns' manor; she looked on the outside for any signs of Bart or Milhouse. She didn't see them at first, until Milhouse appeared behind a shrubbery.

"Lisa?" he said nervously.

Lisa made her way over, stopping in front of Milhouse and grabbing him by the collar. "Where's Bart?" she asked angrily.

"He's in Mr. Burns' property, he told me to stay here until he was done with whatever he was doing," said Milhouse nervously. He had dealt with Lisa's wrath many times and he knew he had to be honest with her at the moment.

"Do you know why he is in there?" asked Lisa.

"Well if you see for yourself…" Milhouse pointed to a spot where he could watch without being seen.

Lisa looked through and let out a gasp of what she saw. Bart was standing in front of the mansion, rocks in his hand and he was throwing them at Mr. Burn's windows. So far she could see three of them shattered and before she could turn her head back to Milhouse, another window broke, leaving a large hole in the center.

"How do I get in?" asked Lisa as she dug around near her for an opening to the property.

"Right here," said Milhouse as he revealed a small gap between two hedges.

"Thanks," said Lisa as she gave Milhouse a pat on the shoulder.

"Be careful Lisa, I don't know where Mr. Burns is at the moment," said Milhouse nervously.

"I'll try to, whistle if you see anything suspicious," said Lisa before disappearing between the hedge and reappearing on the other side.

Lisa made her way toward Bart as quickly as she could through the snow, avoiding all the statues and a few bushes here and there. As she got closer, she could hear Bart yelling as he threw the rocks at the window and she wondered how much longer she could talk to him before Mr. Burns showed himself.

"BART!" Lisa yelled at him trying to get him to stop.

Bart turned his head toward her but he only scowled back before throwing another rock as hard as he could. The rock struck a window, this time shattering it until there was nothing but a square hole in the wall.

"It came from in here Sir," Lisa heard the familiar voice of Waylon Smithers making his way to the window.

"Bart stop!" Lisa cried knowing that he was now finally caught.

Again Bart ignored her and as soon as Smithers showed his face to the window, Bart threw a rock straight at his head, nailing the poor assistant right in the temple. Smithers let out a yelp of pain before he backed away to regain his composure and nurse his sore head. Mr. Burns stood by him wondering if his assistant was alright and making sure he was out of Bart's range.

"You think you are far enough away but I can nail you," Lisa heard Bart say as he picked up a much larger rock. Now that she was closer she could hear that his cold had not subsided and he was sounding a bit sicker.

Lisa could not take it any more and before Bart could even do a backhand, Lisa ran forward and pummeled him to the ground. Bart gasped with surprise and quickly tried to escape her grasp.

"Get your damn hands off me!" Bart cried.

"No not until you listen to me, do you know how dangerous this is?" asked Lisa knowing how Mr. Burns would most likely release the hounds at any given moment.

"It won't be if you let go of me," said Bart who tried to struggle free but quickly began to let out a heavy cough.

"Bart you are not well, you need to come home and rest, I told you last night that revenge is not the answer," Lisa said sternly while she tried to hold Bart down.

"I will when I am good and ready," said Bart who then kicked Lisa as hard as he could in the stomach. He didn't realize his own strength though as Lisa let out a cry of pain and fell backward into the snow, clutching her stomach.

"Serves you right," said Bart as he ignored her and turned to Mr. Burns' front door. He had heard the sound of the doors opening and was waiting for Mr. Burns to appear and get the surprise of his life.

A second later, the front door opened and Bart let out a laugh of happiness as a bucket he had hung just above the door tipped over and spilled all its contents right on Mr. Burns. Mr. Burns let out a yowl of anger as a whole gallon of glue mixed with honey fell on top of him.

"Smithers it's the bucket brigade, they are after me again!" Mr. Burns yelled.

It wasn't long before he tried to move forward but instead slipped on a large piece of ice in front of the stairwell caused by Bart who had sprayed the whole stairs with water from the nearby water hose. Unable to find his footing, Mr. Burns fell face forward down the stairs straight into a pile of feathers.

"Are you alright sir?" Bart could hear Smithers say as he appeared at the door with a small bag of ice on his head.

"I don't know, which way is up?" asked Mr. Burns.

Smithers gasped when he finally saw his boss lying in the snow covered in feathers, glue, and honey. He knew he had to help him and ran forward only to slip on the ice as well before crashing down the stairs and running straight into Mr. Burns.

Bart watched as Smithers tried to get up while still stuck to Mr. Burns, he was finally able to pry himself off before helping Mr. Burns up. Bart then began to laugh at their misfortune.

"What is this meaning of this you hooligan?!" Mr. Burns asked as he tried to get the feathers off his clothes.

"That's for ruining our family's lives," said Bart before turning around to find his way back out. Lisa slowly got up, even though Bart was not feeling well, he was still strong enough to bring her down.

"He didn't mean it sir, he's just not feeling well and when that happens you don't think clearly," said Lisa through gritted teeth.

Bart heard what Lisa said, and turned around giving his sister another one of his angry glares. "I am thinking clearly, that bastard deserved what I just did to him."

Lisa let out a sigh, Bart was still angry and he was still out for revenge. Lisa always knew that revenge was not the answer, especially in Buddhist tradition and she knew she had to find a way to calm Bart down from the ideas she read.

"Will it bring Dad back?" asked Lisa in a soft voice.

Bart was about to respond back before he realized what Lisa just said, he was doing it out of revenge but what good would it do when his father was no longer with them. Smithers watched as Bart stared down at the snow suddenly feeling a bit silly, while Mr. Burns gave a satisfied grin underneath all the feathers, glue and honey.

"He's just so heartless, he doesn't even care that he ruined so many people's lives," said Bart sadly.

"Is there any sense in pulling pranks on him like that then, you know he still won't care," said Lisa who then moved forward and put her hand on his shoulder as she tried to look him in the eyes.

"It makes me feel better though," Bart whimpered.

Lisa gave her brother a concerned frown before turning back to Smithers and Mr. Burns, hoping that they would somehow let Bart off easily. Smithers looked at Mr. Burns, he seemed to have the same thoughts Lisa had, he hated how Mr. Burns would show no compassion as he sent checks out to the doctors for his employees. He would only say that they were being a thorn in his side and that the mistake he made with the plant was really the employee's faults.

Smithers knew better though, he remembered when Mr. Burns had gone with the lowest mechanic to fix the problem when the generator started having complications. He did hear a complaint from one of the workers afterward; he believed it had been Carl Carlson, that the generator was still not up to code. Smithers tried to relay this to Mr. Burns but the old man only dismissed it saying that the generator did that when it was trying to rework itself again. Mr. Burns was proved wrong though a week later when it finally gave out and caused the worst disaster in the plants history.

Mr. Burns stared at the children, he didn't know who they were, the boy looked familiar but of course his memory was always shot when he was around any one, save for Smithers. He knew he paid their mother a lot of money for whatever happened to their father and he was not happy about it. Their father should have known better than to get near the generator when it was about to explode and he tried telling the courts that but of course they said it was still his fault for not bringing it up to code and that knowing the time of an explosion was not something workers knew about. What the child had just done made him even angrier, he had not been invited onto his property and the pranks he had pulled would have seriously injured him, there was no way he was going to let these children get off easily, even if the boy now knew that revenge was wrong.

"Sir?" He heard Smithers say after a very long pause.

"Release the hounds!" he said angrily.

"But Sir, they are only children," said Smithers nervously.

"Do as I say or I will release them at you!" Mr. Burns said with the iciest and most horrible stare that Smithers had ever seen.

If Smithers wasn't so devoted to Mr. Burns, he would have gladly thrown in the towel right then and there. But Smithers was too much of a coward to fight back, he only gave Lisa and Bart a look of concern, his only way of showing that he was doing his job.

"You kids better run," he said nervously as he took out a remote controlled button. It wasn't long before both Bart and Lisa heard the sounds of angry dogs making their way toward them.

Lisa let out a cry of alarm and began to run as fast as she could through the snow hoping that Bart was behind her. She was too afraid to look back, all she could hear was the sound of barking dogs getting closer while Milhouse's voice called to her as he told her to hurry.

She soon made it through the hedge, breathing heavily while Milhouse continued to watch through it as if he was waiting for Bart to make an appearance. Lisa was waiting to hear his voice but instead only heard dogs barking in the distance.

"Where is he?" Lisa asked as she gulped in more air.

"He went another way," said Milhouse with a worried voice.

"What!" Lisa cried out as she peeked through the hedges as well.

She could see a dog disappear behind a ridge near the mansion, and it made her wonder why Bart would even decide to go a different way. Was he still too angry to come home with her?

"I saw him taunting the dogs as they reached you guys, he made them go after him instead of you," said Milhouse.

Lisa stared back at Milhouse; her eyes showed fear for her only brother who was now risking his life to help his own sister from being mauled. But would Bart be fast enough to get away from the dogs in time, especially if his cold was keeping him at bay.

"Come on, we need to find out if he got away from them fast enough," said Lisa as she pried her way through the bushes again.

Lisa lead Milhouse though the property again, keeping to the side of the wall so that Mr. Burns would not see her right away. As they got closer to where they had last seen the dogs run over the ridge, they could hear them barking louder and knew that they were close.

"What if he is being mauled?" asked Milhouse shakily.

Lisa turned to Milhouse with an angry glare, she did not want to think about that, and she did not want to see that when her brother was finally in sight.

"He has to be okay, he's tougher than that, he won't let anything hurt him," said Lisa as she tried to stay optimistic while moving closer to her goal.

It wasn't long before she finally saw Bart; he was standing alone while the dogs were nearby watching him but not going anywhere nearer to him. She could see that he looked scared and she wondered why the dogs were not going any closer.

"I wonder if there is an invisible fence right there," she said to Milhouse.

"I'll check it out, it could be something else too," said Milhouse who then climbed up onto the wall to see if there was something that he and Lisa could not see from where they were.

"See anything?" Lisa asked once Milhouse was no longer having trouble keeping balance on top of the wall.

"It looks like he is on a frozen lake," said Milhouse with a sense of nervousness in his voice.

Lisa gulped worriedly, it hadn't been that cold out yet, the ice was probably very thin, one minor slipup could cause Bart to go under. Lisa wanted to run and help him off, but knew that if she even tried to show herself, the dogs would go after her, luckily she was upwind already so they dogs had not scented her.

Bart had seen Lisa and Milhouse make their way toward him, he knew that they knew he was in trouble and there was no way they could help him. Not with so many vicious dogs surrounding him. Bart had already felt the ice crack underneath him and now he was too afraid to move, he had no idea how to get off and if anyone would help him get rid of the dogs. If only the cops knew what was going on they would most likely help him.

Suddenly one of the dogs decided to be brave and moved forward, growling intensely and showing his huge canines. Bart could only stare back, fear in his eyes and wondering what was going to happen.

"Nice doggy, please don't move any closer," said Bart who now decided to take his chances and move backward. He felt the ice crack underneath him again but he knew he had to keep moving or he would be mauled.

Suddenly the dog stepped on one of the cracks that Bart had first stepped on, the ice gave way revealing what lay underneath. The dog let out a surprised yelp as its paw slipped into the icy water for just a moment. Bart quickly noticed that the dogs fearlessness turned into sudden panic as the ice began to crack around them.

"What have I done to get myself into this," Bart said to himself as he realized now that what he had been doing was foolishness.

"Milhouse what do we do?" Lisa cried, tears falling down her face.

"Do you think I could go call for help in time?" asked Milhouse.

"You can try, it's our only way for us to rescue him," said Lisa who began to rub her hands to show her nervousness.

Milhouse was about to jump over the wall and find the nearest payphone when he and Lisa heard the most horrible sound anyone would want to hear when someone was standing out on the ice. They watched as Bart tried to move out of the way as the dog that had jumped on the ice fell into the water below. Lisa could hear the dog whimper as it tried to make it back onto the ice, but its weight kept breaking it, causing a chain reaction of ice cracking around it. They watched as Bart tried to move away, but he only went a few feet before he stepped onto an unstable piece of ice and quickly disappeared into the cold, icy water below.

* * *

A/N: Now to leave you all in suspense until next week, mwhahahaha. Any way a big thank you first of all to CalculatedChaos, originally I had planned for this chapter to be more boring and to have it end in a more House-like way where Bart gets really sick and is sent to the hospital because of it. But CalculatedChaos kept saying in his reviews that he believed Bart was gonna go back and handle Mr. Burns again. And I kept thinking to myself, I wonder if I can do that. And this idea popped up so thank you very much for creating something more interesting.

Second of all thank you so much for all your support in dealing with that troll I had this past week. I really had no idea why he singled me out; I never did anything to him unless get more reviews. But what's the point of trolling like that when you just add more reviews to my story any way; it's really an odd thing to do. But what really irritated me the most was that he ruined my fun little idea in which I was going to give whoever gave me my 100th review a drawing. So now instead, because you were all so nice to me I have decided to let you all give me a suggestion for me to draw a scene from this story, it can be anything you want, just name it and I will try to do it. I probably won't get on it until the story is done so you can wait to suggest something once it's all finished, it's your choice. The drawings will be on Deviant Art, I do have one up already, it's more of a deleted scene though.

Oh and Emma P or anyone else who is wondering, I have four more chapters to go so one month more and then I will be done. It's kind of sad to think about but funny too because I put this story up on the day I went to the dentist and at the end of August I have to go in for a cleaning, so yeah I've been working on this between dental checkups. LOL.

Now that I have bored you with random information, I will let you all review while I work on my next chapter. See you soon.


	18. What Bart Saw

The last thing Bart remembered before loosing consciousness, was the horrible silence as his whole body became engulfed in the freezing lake. The water felt like needles poking every inch of his body as he tried desperately to bring himself back up for air. But the cold was so intense that his whole body felt rigid and the more he tried the longer it took to make it to the top for air. What made it worse was the fact that his lungs were not the strongest at the moment so he became weaker faster. He almost made it, his hand broke the surface as he was ready to breathe the fresh air again, instead everything around him became dimmer and he knew nothing more.

Bart was now standing on a dirt path with trees on both sides, how he got there he had no idea, and he looked around nervously. The path was dark and lonely and the only sound he could hear were tree branches brushing up against each other as the wind blew through them. He looked to his left and noticed how dark the path was and that he could not see where it led, but when he looked to his right he saw light and could see that the forest was ending, perhaps Mr. Burns' mansion was just outside there.

He made his way forward and it did not take him long before he was out of the forest. As soon as he reached the clearing, he instantly knew that something was wrong by the fact that there was no more snow on the ground, just a blue sky under the greenest grass he had ever seen. Ahead of him was a hedge, much like the one Mr. Burns had, but this one was bigger and well taken care of. He then noticed that the path headed toward a gate that was between the hedge and what looked like a podium of some sort. Bart stared at that spot for a moment wondering why such a thing would be there; perhaps it had a guest sign in sheet on it like at Graceland, but why in the world would Mr. Burns have something like that near his gates, he hated visitors.

Curiosity finally got the better of him and he moved forward toward the gates to find out more. Once he arrived, he noticed that someone was standing nearby, pruning part of the hedge. Bart stopped in front and stared at the man curiously. He was older looking, probably in his late fifties and dressed mainly in white. His hair was graying and he had a beard that looked well groomed but just as gray. He had his back toward Bart so he had not seen him.

"Hey can you tell me where I am, I need to find my way home," Bart finally said after watching the stranger prune for far too long.

The old man turned his head and let out a startled look of surprise before quickly tucking the pruning shears against the podium and began to leaf through his little book.

"Bart Simpson, my my I see you've been having a rough time lately," said the man.

Bart stared at the man, how in the world did he know his name? And how in the world did he know of his problems? That was when Bart realized where he was, and this was definitely not what he had planned.

"Oh God! I can't be…" Bart stopped what he was saying, the whole idea of passing on was not something he was ready for, he believed he still had years ahead of him.

"Not yet, but once you pass these gates you will, you are only lost between the world of the living and the dead," said the man.

"No, I don't want to pass through those gates, I have a mom and two sisters to take care of I can't leave them now," Bart said nervously as he began to back away wondering if he should run, but where would he go? He had no idea how to get back to his living form.

"What happened to the idea of not coming home to show your mother a lesson?" asked the man.

"I didn't mean by dying as well, I just wanted……I couldn't………It's just that….." Bart was having trouble making up an excuse and the old man only lifted an eyebrow as Bart struggled to come up with one.

"And how about the idea that your family has been broken because of the death of your father? Surely what has just happened to you has created an even weaker chain," said the man.

"I am just in mourning, loosing a father is the worst thing that can happen to you and it just tore me up inside," said Bart as he stared back at the man with a pitiful face.

"But that doesn't help the fact that you are hurting your family even more than what they have already dealt with. Unfortunately it is now time for you to leave your world and family behind. I just need to write your name under deceased and when I am done, you will sign and go through these gates," the man said as he began to write down Bart's name. As the man began to write, Bart only watched him and began to cry, wishing that he could change his life and that he could say sorry to his mother for what he said to her.

Suddenly as if someone had heard Bart's wishes, the old man's quill was quickly snatched out of his hands by a young man; a man Bart would only know in old family albums, but only if he bothered to look at them. He was the same man who entered Lisa's dreams less than a week earlier. Like Lisa, Bart did not recognize him because of all that hair and he was neatly dressed in white, but then again he never really looked at those old photo albums.

"What is the meaning of this!" The older man grumbled.

"Pete can I talk to him?" the stranger asked.

"It's Peter and why do you think you can talk to him when he won't listen to anyone else?" asked Peter.

"First off I would rather call you Pete because Peter makes me think of a big fat guy who shows no compassion for anyone but himself and I know you show that, don't ya Pete?" said the stranger.

"Well of course, you have to for this job," said Peter.

"Then will you let me talk to my son, perhaps I can straighten him up," said the stranger

Bart gasped; did this man just call him his son? It couldn't be who he thought it was, there was no way he could see that guy again. Peter stared back at the stranger for a moment, there had been instances like this in the past and he had permitted family members to do so. Usually those talks failed, sometimes they worked, it really just depended on the circumstances.

"Well you already made it all the way out here," said Peter who waved his hand toward Bart who was only staring back with a dumbfounded look.

"And before I talk to him further, you said I had no chance of coming back to the living. Will my son have a chance?" The stranger asked.

Peter stared back at Bart, he was a strong kid who was just lost and troubled at the moment, and he could sense that once Bart had the proper talking to then he would know how everyone else felt. He could go back to the living if he was straightened out properly, what had happened to him wasn't as life threatening as cancer; he just needed to be educated more.

"He will, but he will feel miserable for a while, of course it won't be as bad as what you had to endure," said Peter.

"Then please can I talk to him and send him back to his mother?" asked the stranger.

"I permit you, but if he does not understand, I cannot return him home. Do you think you can help him?" asked Peter.

"I do Pete," said the stranger.

Peter then gave him a nod and closed his book so he could return to his pruning and let father and son have their moment together to discuss what brought Bart here in the first place. For a moment, Bart followed the man who said he was his father a little ways through the field. They almost made it to the field when Bart suddenly stopped, he couldn't go any further, it felt too strange to him.

"What's wrong son?" asked the stranger.

Bart stared back at him. This had to be an illusion of some sort and he would hopefully wake up any minute from this horrible dream of believing that he was dying and going to heaven.

"This can't be real, I'm just asleep and I will wake up any minute now and find that this is all just a bad dream," said Bart nervously.

"Oh but its real Bart, it's as real as the nose on your face, and it wouldn't have happened if you listened to Lisa or your mother," said the stranger.

Bart then tried to pinch himself but only jumped up from the pain, he was still where he was, in a strange place standing next to a man who claimed to be his father.

"You can't be my father, my father was bald and fat and not as bright as you are," said Bart.

"You should know that when I was younger I did have hair, was skinny and was……a bit smarter, but not by much. Heaven just brings you back to your healthiest form," said the stranger who was walking toward Bart. Bart only backed away nervously. He hated waking to nightmares. This one he was definitely not in the mood for.

"No, I don't believe it," said Bart who now had his back up against a boulder.

"How about if I show you then," said the stranger who then bent down to his knees and pulled out his arms to show that he wanted to give Bart a hug.

Bart stood there for a moment, wondering what would happen, would he wake up? Would something terrible happen? He was now scared and he wanted to run, until he looked into the strangers eyes. He saw compassion in them, and for one brief moment, it brought him back to the time when he was a tiny infant being held in his fathers arms. He remembered that brief moment how those eyes told him that his father would be there for him and that he would never leave him.

Bart moved forward and embraced his father, as soon as they both connected he knew that this was not any kind of illusion he knew about. This was as real as it could get, there were no strings attached. Only the amazing love that a father could give to their child through one of the hardest moments in a young boy's life. The last time Bart had hugged his father was the night he passed on and he felt so cold and weak, but this hug felt so strong and warm, as if all his energy was passing through both of them at that exact moment.

"Oh Dad, it's really you, it's been so hard without you," Bart cried as he clutched himself close to his father.

"I know son, I know," said Homer who let Bart stay close to him for as long as he wanted.

"I wish you were still there with us, it's not the same without you," said Bart.

"I know that as well Bart," Homer said as he pushed Bart backwards so he could look his son in the eyes. Bart stared back at him, his father's hands on his shoulders while he looked into his fathers eyes. They were sad but somehow he could sense it was not because he could not be with the family any more, but because Bart ended up here to learn his lesson. "I know it hurt you deeply son and I know you thought it was unfair but that's what happens in life. It's kind of like the game, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."

"But I wish it wasn't so unfair, I wanted you to fight and win. I wanted you to see me graduate from high school. I wanted you to take me out and play catch. I wanted you to be with us until…until I don't know just until it was the right time for you to go. Not like you did now, it was just too soon," said Bart tears now flowing freely down his face.

"I wanted that too Bart, I had hoped for better options for me, but the disease was too strong, we caught it too late, there was nothing to help me," said Homer who was now crying himself.

"And it's so hard for Mom to take care of all of us on her own, I try to help but I can't do everything," said Bart as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"But that's why you have Ned Flanders," said Homer knowing that it was time to get to the point as to one of the main reasons why Bart was there.

"But I don't want Mom to fall in love with him," said Bart in a voice that showed how much he hated the idea of his own mother falling in love with the neighbor.

"Why do you even think that will happen?" asked Homer as calmly as he could.

"Because I saw them kiss and I saw how much happier she is with him," said Bart.

"Did it ever occur to you that your mother does not want to cry for me all the time?" asked Homer in a way that sounded very sarcastic but it really wasn't.

"Yes but…" Bart began.

"And did it ever occur to you that love is not just about marriage?" asked Homer.

"Then can you tell me what it is?" asked Bart sounding a bit frustrated especially since he asked it to both Ned and Marge and both did not give him a correct answer.

"I will not tell you, mostly because I am not as religious as Ned, he can tell you all you need to know about love, just ask him and listen and you will understand," said Homer. He knew that Bart thought love was about kissing, holding hands and getting married. But love was something more than that and Homer knew that Ned could tell it better than he could.

"I hope so," said Bart.

"And who says I'm not dating anyone up here, I could be dating Maude Flanders," said Homer.

Bart let out a gasp of surprise. "Are you really?"

"No, I'm just messing with you," said Homer with a chuckle.

Bart raised his eyebrow a little, and Homer could tell that Bart did not believe him.

"I love your mother just as much as she loves me, even the greatest celebrities that I had a crush on won't replace your mother up here. She is more beautiful and amazing than any of them," said Homer.

Bart only smiled; he knew his father was telling the truth, there was no lying behind those eyes. "What about Maude, is she dating anyone?"

"Nope, she is waiting for Ned to get here; it won't be until he turns one hundred and three so she has a while to see him again. Just like her though I will be waiting for your mother, and she will stay faithful to me, and when her time comes it will be all the more sweeter," said Homer.

"Just don't take her too soon from us," said Bart.

"It's going to be many years before that happens Bart, but do you understand that the love between your mother and Flanders is not the way you see it?" asked Homer.

Bart looked up at Homer; he did seem very sure of what was going on in the world of the living. If Homer trusted his own wife to be with someone else in a different kind of love that Bart had yet to interpret, then everything had to be okay. Of course Lisa and Marge sort of hinted at this, but when they tried to talk he was angry and didn't want to listen. Now he was scared and willing to take any advice he could to get back to them.

"I sort of do, but I think I will understand more once I talk to Flanders," said Bart with a small smile, he was satisfied with his answer.

"Then are you ready to return home?" asked Homer as he motioned for Bart to follow him back to the forest.

Bart nodded and together both father and son took one more walk together. Bart would go back home and live to see many more years. Homer would watch him go and then head back to the pearly gates where he would wait for Marge to come to him.

They soon reached the edge and Bart looked into the lonely trail that was dark and mysterious. He could see why many did not venture back. Bart then turned to take one last look at his father and embraced him in the biggest hug he could muster.

"I love you Dad!" Bart said with tears in his eyes. Homer looked back at his son with a startled expression, Bart rarely ever said that he loved him and he knew that he had done something right to help Bart understand.

"I love you too Bart," Homer finally replied.

Of course, Bart hadn't hugged his father in so long that he had missed the feeling so much and was now in no mood to let go. He wanted to find a way to bring his father back to the living with him.

"Is there any way you can come back with me, you went this far to take me back?" asked Bart hoping with all his heart something could be changed.

"If I did I would look too much like the Thriller music video," said Homer with a silly grin.

"But what about the idea of Deus Ex Machina?" asked Bart remembering how movies would often change something for the better.

"You've been watching too many Disney movies, life isn't really like that. I know it sounds wonderful but it just doesn't work in real life, in a cartoon maybe but not for us," said Homer.

Bart let out a sigh of sadness, it was hard to let go again but he knew he had to take care of his mother and sisters. Homer even asked him to. "What would happen if you followed me in here then?"

"Then I would be nothing but a memory, you would never see me again, even in heaven," said Homer.

Bart did not like the sound of that, he wanted to see his father again when he passed on, memories were great but he still wanted to share them with Homer when his real time to pass would come.

"I'll miss you Dad," Bart finally said as he gave his father one last big hug before staring back up at him. He tried not to shed any tears, but a few had to come out and they were enough to make Homer all misty eyed.

"Remember that goodbyes aren't forever, I'll be waiting for you when you come back, both your mother and I," said Homer making sure that Bart understood that it would happen one day but not for a very long time. Bart said nothing and knew that he had to make his way back home no matter how badly it hurt to separate from his father.

Finally Bart found himself walking alone on the trail through the forest. He looked back once to see his father watching from the entrance waving goodbye.

The next thing Bart knew was that he was opening his eyes and feeling much heavier than before. His body felt sore and weak while he could feel the pain in his chest as if he had been underwater for a very long time. But he was no longer outside, instead he saw white all around him and a few things made of metal.

It wasn't long before a familiar face appeared in his vision looking concerned yet happy to see that he was finally awake.

"Bart can you hear me?" Dr. Hibbert's deep voice asked.

"Yeah," Bart said weakly.

Dr. Hibbert smiled and looked toward a nearby window. Bart lifted his head up for a brief moment to see Marge, Maggie and Lisa running into the room with tears of joy in their eyes. As soon as he fell back, he felt Marge grab him and hug him tightly. He no longer felt angry toward her; he only felt a great happiness to be by her side again.

"Oh Bart you scared us half to death!" Marge said as she set him back down.

Bart gave her a weak smile before responding. "Dad says hi."

Lisa looked at Bart wondering how serious he was while Marge gave a concerned face to Dr. Hibbert. Dr. Hibbert decided it was best to leave Bart in peace while he took Marge, Lisa and Maggie outside to talk to them about what happened. Bart watched them go before putting his head back down on the pillow to rest and make a full recovery.

* * *

A/N: Man this chapter went through a lot of revamps and hopefully it came out in a good way that you all enjoyed especially near the beginning, I just felt that calling Homer a stranger at first would be interesting. I am starting to wonder too if the first paragraph should have been in the last chapter, oh well you can all tell me what you think about that, I can change it if I need to because I do feel that it's missing something. It was dialogue heavy too but I guess it brought everything out the way I wanted it to. But I will let you all decide on that.

Well I guess that's all I have to say for now, please review when you have a chance; I still have three more chapters to go. See you all next week.


	19. What is Love?

Golden shafts of sunlight broke through the curtains of the hospital room where Bart slept. Everything was quiet, save for the short beeping sounds the heart monitor would make to show that Bart was doing well. Slowly Bart opened his eyes and had to look away from the window because of the glare that the sunlight brought to him as soon as he woke up. He blinked a few times to get the spots out of his eyes before looking around the room.

He saw the heart monitors next to him, the IV that snaked down to his wrist, the door where there was some quiet murmuring in the hallway, a vase of flowers next to his bed with a few cards leaned up against it. One of them he knew was from Milhouse by the handwriting, he would have to read those when he got bored. Finally he saw the TV overhead and was about to look for the remote when he noticed a small chair sitting just below it. Someone was occupying that chair and Bart instantly knew who it was because of the book she had her nose in.

"Lisa?" Bart called weakly.

Lisa looked up from what she was reading and quickly gave her brother a warm smile. She then set the book down and made her way toward her brother and sat in a chair that was next to the bed.

"I was wondering when you would wake up," said Lisa.

"How long was I out?" asked Bart as he adjusted the bed so he could sit up correctly and talk to Lisa.

"Two days, you were lucky to get out of that lake alive," said Lisa.

"How did I get out any way, I knew you and Milhouse could not reach me because of the dogs," said Bart.

"You could thank Mr. Smithers for that, he actually scared the dogs off before he dove in and rescued you. He even tried CPR on you but you would not respond," said Lisa nervously, she really did not want to go into details about watching her brother be carried out by Smithers to Mr. Burns' front lawn so paramedics could get to him faster. To her it felt like her fathers sudden fall, and just like it, she could only watch from the sidelines as the paramedics helped her brother the best they could

"Is Mr. Smithers okay?" asked Bart as he finally got Lisa out of her trance.

"Yeah, he nearly froze to death trying to rescue you but he only came out with a small cold. But you should have seen what happened! Mr. Burns tried to sound innocent but Mr. Smithers would not let him and told the police everything. And just as Mr. Burns was being hauled off into the police car, Mr. Smithers told him that he quit because he did not like how he treated everyone and ruined lives. He was so noble doing that, and I don't know if it was from being in the water or how he said it but he was shaking like a Chihuahua the whole time!" said Lisa in a very excited voice

"Sounds like someone is finally giving that old fart what he needs," said Bart.

"Yeah they might put him on trial again because of endangerment to children, that really was horrible what he did," said Lisa.

"And how did Mom find out?" asked Bart as he also looked outside the door to see if his mother was outside for the time being, plus he wanted to start a new conversation.

"The police took me home and I informed Mom about what happened. We both went straight to the hospital and we arrived a half an hour after you were admitted, they were still trying to revive you and all we could do was wait and pray. Mom was so frantic and scared, I had never seen her like that, even when Dad was sent to the emergency rooms those many times," said Lisa.

"But where is she any way?" Bart asked as he continued to stare out the door.

"She's down at the gift shop with Mr. Flanders, they wanted to get you something special when you woke up," said Lisa.

Bart's eyes went wide; he was not expecting Ned to even be at the hospital. He was both happy and a little worried to hear that. Happy because he could talk to Ned once he came up with whatever present they planned on giving him. He was also worried because he knew he would find out what the future held between his mother and Ned. He hoped that what his father told him would be true about their relationship.

"So Flanders is here too?" asked Bart.

"Yeah, we all knew you would wake up very soon and he wanted to come up and visit, Mom said you need a good talking to while you're momentarily too weak to run away from her," said Lisa with a small giggle.

"After what happened, I think I would rather just listen even though I don't want to. It's not like it will be the end of the world, it will just be sad to hear," said Bart with a sigh and then a cough. His chest was still very sore from nearly drowning so it hurt a bit when he coughed. "And I am sorry I kicked you and didn't listen to you when you tried to talk to me, I guess I was more upset about Dad's death than I thought." Bart managed to say through a scratchy throat and nose full of mucus.

"It's okay Bart; death affects others in different ways. You know about the different stages? Well I think you were in anger and you stayed in that stage much longer than most, I think you wanted Dad back more than anyone," said Lisa.

Bart only nodded, Lisa was right about that. Though he did wonder if his mother was wishing to see Homer more than anyone. It was hard to tell, emotions were so different for everyone. He did wonder if Lisa questioned whether or not he really did see his father, he decided not to say anything though unless Lisa asked. He felt it was a more private matter.

Both brother and sister remained silent for a long time, Lisa knew that Bart needed to save his strength and did not want to bother him too much. Finally she went back to her seat to read a book while Bart decided to close his eyes and rest. It didn't take long though before Bart heard some familiar footsteps enter the room. He opened his eyes and there in the doorway stood Marge and Ned. Marge carrying Maggie while Maggie was holding what looked like two coloring books. Ned was carrying what looked like a stuffed penguin or whale, he could not tell from so far away.

"Well son of a diddly! Look who's finally awake!" Ned exclaimed happily.

"Barty! Barty! Look what I got you!" Maggie yelled as she jumped out of her mothers arms and ran over to show Bart the two activity books that she found in the gift shop. "See you can have one and I can have one, we can both play together."

"Thanks Maggie," said Bart who flipped through the pages for a moment to see what kind of games were in the book. They were mostly mazes, and look and find, but there were also a few crossword puzzles as well. It would be something nice to work on while he recovered.

"You wanna play now?" asked Maggie as she opened a certain page.

"Not right now Maggie, Bart needs to rest," said Marge.

Maggie looked at her mother with a sad face before deciding to join Lisa over by the chair; perhaps she would help her if she ever got her nose out of the book. Marge watched her for a moment before finally turning back to Bart and gave him a concerned grin.

"How's my special little guy feeling?" She asked.

"I'm okay, my chest feels heavy though," said Bart as he coughed again. Marge watched him nervously while Ned moved forward and handed him the stuffed animal that he bought.

Bart held it in his hands to find that it was a killer whale dressed in a doctor's scrub with the words "Get Whale Soon" stitched across the side. Of course Ned would pick something like that.

"Just thought you might like a little friend to be with you while you recovered," said Ned with a smile.

Bart stared at the whale for a moment; he rarely had any stuffed animals save for the Krusty doll, and Mr. Honey Bunny which he cruelly slaughtered once by accident as he forgot it was his and not Lisa's. The whale was a kind gesture and he knew it was Ned's way of showing that he cared about him.

"Actually I would, so thanks," said Bart with a smile as he set the whale beside him.

"I'm glad you are in a better mood too, I was hoping we would get a chance to talk to you now that you are too weak to run away," said Marge with a sly grin.

"I already told him that Mom," Lisa said as she poked her head up from reading the book.

Marge only murmured at her daughter before looking back down at Bart who only looked back with a sheepish grin. "I actually want to hear what you have to say, I know I will have to know sooner or later whether I like it or not," he said in a way that made Marge look surprised by his words.

"I wonder if it's the morphine," Ned whispered into Marge's ear.

"He shouldn't have been given morphine, he's not in that much pain," said Marge as she stared at the IV and wondered what kind of clear liquid was being brought down into his system.

"It's not always morphine, I was joking around any way," said Ned sheepishly.

Marge stared at him like an angry mother usually does when a significant other said something stupid to worry her.

"No mom I really want to know, you see what happened to me made me think about what has gone on and we just need to have this problem settled out. I just want to know if you've fallen in love again even though it has been four months," said Bart who then made a confused face wondering what made him say such things.

Marge was ready for this and grabbed a nearby chair to sit down in next to the bed while Ned did the same ready to talk and answer any questions Bart might have about what they were about to tell him. Bart only stared back ready to listen and get it over with.

"Do you remember when your father had to go in for surgery after he had that heart attack, and we were all afraid that he would not make it?" asked Marge.

"Yeah I remember that," said Bart. How could anyone forget those few weeks?

"Well before he went in, I promised him that I would never remarry. In fact I told him that again one afternoon as I sat by his hospital bed when he became very sick those few weeks before he died," said Marge her eyes looking a bit misty from even thinking about what she just said but she only let out a sigh and continued on.

"You see Bart, when I first met your father I didn't know what to think of him. He seemed nice enough but I never expected us to become so close. As the years went by I began to realize that he was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and when we found out that I was pregnant with you, he was a bit nervous about it, but he did not try to run away. He only tried to help support me and to be the right kind of father for you and your sisters, and he continued to do that until the very end. He was always so happy to see you guys when you visited him in bed, it really broke his heart when he realized he would not be around much longer, and he fought so hard to stay alive. Out of all the men I dated over the years, he was the one that was most pure of heart and I knew that no one could ever replace him even in death."

"So what your saying… is that you don't…… love Flanders?" asked Bart in a slightly confused voice before coughing again. Listening to his mother's words though made his eyes all misty as he remembered his fathers last days as he tried to hang on.

"I do Bart, but how you perceive love is something totally different from how I or Ned see it," said Marge.

"But you won't marry him?" asked Bart who was still very confused.

"We have differences of opinion Bart and he's definitely not like your father that's for sure," Marge said as she glared a little at Ned, Ned only gave her a dopey grin. "He's helped me cope with your father's death and it's the best someone could ask for. He knows how to help, and if I even meet another man who has the same qualities your father had, he would probably be a dream come true. But I would never marry him because I know he would never replace your father."

"The same goes for me too, I would never find a replacement for Maude because she was that special," said Ned with a sigh.

"So will you still date?" asked Bart wondering if there would be boyfriends going in and out of the house on occasions.

"I might, if being with you three gets boring," said Marge with a chuckle.

Bart thought for a moment, this was the best he could have hoped for, but then again he was wondering if it was because of that Friday night.

"So you're not gonna fall in love with him because of your closeness to Dad?" asked Bart.

"That's right," said Marge.

"Not because of what I said to you the other night? Because I am really sorry about what I said. I was just angry, I miss Dad and I guess I didn't want to see you happy," said Bart as he twiddled with his fingers nervously.

"Well it did make me think about what you said and I did find out further how I really felt, so you were a small help in this not too much," said Marge.

"And I am sorry I hurt you in any way that night, I don't hate you," said Bart with a guilty look on his face.

"I knew you didn't, some things just slip out when you are angry, you were just trying to take care of me and I was not accepting it," said Marge as she gave Bart a big hug, Bart returned the favor, glad to have the bonding between him and his mother back on track. "Does Dr. Hibbert know you are awake?"

"No I haven't seen him yet," said Bart,

"Then let me go find him to let him know," said Marge as she left the room to find the family doctor.

"And I should head on home to bake up a batch of cookies for the church bake sale this weekend," said Ned as he got up out of the chair and was about to walk out the door.

"Wait! Flanders!" Bart cried out a little too enthusiastically, causing him to cough heavily for a moment.

"Everything okay?" asked Ned once Bart stopped coughing.

"Yeah, I guess I rushed myself just now, but before you go, can I ask you something?" asked Bart.

"Sure Bart, I'd be happy to answer," said Ned.

Bart looked over at Lisa and Maggie who were both staring at him after his sudden coughing fit. What he was about to ask Flanders seemed more like a private conversation and he wanted the room to be clear. Lisa seemed to have gotten the hint and closed her book before picking Maggie up.

"Come on Maggie, let's go for a walk," said Lisa as she started walking out.

"But I already went for one," said Maggie in an annoyed voice.

"But I'll take you somewhere fun," said Lisa.

"Good luck with that," said Bart knowing how hospitals didn't have much in entertainment save for the gift shop or a pretty fountain. Lisa only rolled her eyes at him and shut the door behind her. Soon the room was quiet and free of anyone save for Bart and Ned.

"What do you want to ask me?" asked Ned.

"Would you believe that I had help coming back from a heavenly source?" asked Bart nervously.

"So you weren't all delirious when you told your mother and your sisters that your father said hello," said Ned in a face that showed no surprise, apparently Marge had told him what she heard him say when he woke up.

"No, I was telling the truth, I know it's hard to imagine but I did. He told me that you could help me understand something that I haven't understood since… forever I guess," said Bart.

"And what is that?" asked Ned.

"What exactly is love?" asked Bart.

Ned thought about what Bart said for a moment, yes this did seem like a great question that could be answered by him. He then wished he would have heard that conversation between Bart and his father, it must have been some reunion. "Your Dad did pick the right person for you to ask and I would be happier than a cat playing with a ball of string soaked in catnip to explain it to you."

"Then go on," said Bart as he made himself comfortable in the bed.

"Tell me, what do you love? You can mention family members, fun games, whatever you dar-diddly-arn well please," asked Ned.

"Well I love a lot of things, my sisters, my dog, hanging out with Milhouse, weekends, Mom, and playing catch with Dad if I still could, I really miss doing that,…oh and a really good squishee," said Bart.

"Now think about it, would you want to marry the things you listed?" asked Ned.

"Marry my sisters, ewww no that's what hillbillies do!" exclaimed Bart as he made a grossed out face.

"Then you see, love isn't always about marriage. Love is something you cherish, and if you cherish someone, you want what is best for that person. You hope that they will turn out alright and that no ill will befall them, that's how I felt about your Mom, I wanted what was best for her, to make her happy and help her remember your father during his greatest times. I had no intention of actually falling in love with her, but that kiss sure made me question it. You love playing a game because it's a passion that you have, you want to keep playing it hoping you will do better. Same goes for a future career you might have, if you love that job you want to keep moving up so you will do better and you know you love that job when you have a passion for it," explained Ned while the whole time Bart listened, his eyes wide with curiosity and wonder.

"So what about when you are younger and you have a crush on some kid on the playground, are you really in love or are we only messing around with each other?" asked Bart.

"I would say that's more of a puppy love, you love the person like a puppy because their so darn cute. But in time they grow up and you just become friends who still talk to each other now and then," said Ned.

"Hmmm that's an interesting way to think about it," said Bart.

"And do you know the passage of 1st Corinthians 13:4-8?" asked Ned.

Bart thought for a moment, he knew a few verses but he was not as smart as Ned's sons Rod and Todd when it came to that. "Is that the one that the hippies sang in their song Turn, Turn, Turn?"

"No that's Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and the song was by The Bryds, but you should know that one since your sister used it in her eulogy for your Dad, how could you forget that beautiful work she did?" Ned said in a surprised voice.

"I guess I just forgot the name of the verse, but tell me the one you want to tell me," said Bart.

Ned only smiled, he knew many of the verses in the Bible by heart, so he didn't need a book to open up and read, it was already hidden deep into that religious brain of his. "I'll give you the abridged version of it, it's the one everyone knows, not many know the full version, I do but I won't bore you with that since I know you well." Ned grinned at that statement while Bart only rolled his eyes; Ned really liked to take his time with things.

"1st Corinthians 13:4-8 goes like this: Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

"Love never ends."

* * *

A/N: Or it never fails, which ever way you want to put it, I liked ends better though. So now you know. Now you are probably wondering, why in the world are there two more chapters to go? Well its more of an idea that bdlywrttn gave me way back when the story was first put up. She probably does not remember it but she might once she sees the next chapter or she will question me later, hee hee. Oh and the "get whale soon" thing was her idea, so you all can smack her upside the head if you want. I hope this chapter made you all happy with the outcome and if you don't you can just eat my shorts.

Well please review when you get a chance and if you can please review and read Calculatedchaos' story Death of a Simpson. It's a fantastic read and leaves you in suspense. The poor guy needs more reviews than he has, pretty please I'll give you all a burned cookie that I made yesterday.

Sorry, I'll see you all next week.


	20. Memorial

It was nearing the end of March, the trees were in full bloom and it was the perfect temperature for everyone to be out at Springfield Park and enjoy the first warm spell in a long time. But the perfect spring day was not the only reason for people to be out, something new had just been finished in a new section of the park and families were making their way over to celebrate the success.

The new area was named The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Memorial, dedicated to those who lost their lives after that one fateful day three years ago. It was Waylon Smithers idea; he felt that the ones who had lost their lives deserved to be remembered for what had gone on. Even though it was a small explosion it still had a big impact on many lives.

With several of the workers families, including Marge Simpson, they planned, commissioned, and designed the perfect memorial, one that was worth setting up and working hard for. At the moment, Mr. Burns had been expelled from the plant, his home had been condemned and he was living in a smaller apartment in the rich side of town. Everyone knew he would not be there for long though, he was already forced to pay a large sum of money for breaking many codes within the plant after an inspection came through and found more problems that were even more dangerous than a small explosion from a generator. He was now on trial for it, which would hopefully be finished in a few months, and by then everyone would know whether or not Burns would be in jail for a long time or for only a short time. Some of that money went to Waylon Smithers who then distributed it to the families of those who had passed on, and used it to start the memorial.

Bart led his sisters through the gauntlet of people who were mostly chatting with friends and waiting for the ceremony to begin. Both Bart and Lisa knew it would be soon but it was Maggie who was showing no interest and just wanted to go back and play on the swings.

"Why are there so many people? I want to go back to the swings and play with the other kids," Maggie whined.

"You will later, for now we need to honor Dad," said Lisa.

"Did this many people know him?" asked Maggie.

"No, we are also honoring others," said Lisa.

"And how are we going to find Mommy among all these people?" asked Maggie with a heavy sigh.

"Oh we will find her, she is actually up front, she's going to speak," said Bart as he pushed his way through the people so his sisters could get by as well. In three years, Bart had gotten a nice growth spurt so he was now quite tall and could easily move around crowds.

Maggie did not say anything after that but let her brother and sister move her through the crowd toward the podium where Marge and several other people sat including Smithers and Mayor Quimby. It wasn't long though before Maggie spotted a familiar face nearest the podium and let go of Lisa's hand to run toward him.

"Mr. Flanders!" Maggie called out excitedly.

"Well hi-diddly-ho, Maggerino!" Ned said as Maggie ran into his arms and let him pick her up.

"You came too?" asked Maggie.

"Of course, I would not miss this for the world, your Daddy was a good man," said Ned as he let Maggie sit on his shoulders. Standing next to Ned was a woman Bart, Lisa, Maggie and Marge had not met yet, her name was Reba and she had been dating Ned for the past two weeks. Ned liked her at first but now he was getting mixed feelings about her. She questioned a lot of things and voiced her opinion in a way that Ned did not care for.

"Oh she is just as cute as you described her Ned," said Reba as she smiled at Maggie. Maggie only ignored her and looked around for her mother. Reba only shrugged and tried to converse with Bart and Lisa but they were quickly distracted by Maggie.

"I see Mommy," said Maggie as she pointed to the podium and waved at Marge. Marge saw her and gave a quick wave before leaning over to talk with a lady sitting next to her. Not only had Marge helped with the set up of the new memorial, but she had also decided to go to school and become a nurse. She had already taken a year of it and was not ready to stop, she wanted a good job to support her family and she knew that being a nurse was a wonderful idea. Some of the things she saw while Homer was sick made her very curious and want to learn more.

It wasn't long before Mayor Quimby arrived at the podium and waited for the crowd to slowly stop talking so he could begin the ceremony. Of course no one seemed to notice and Mayor Quimby quickly quieted them down by speaking as loud as he could about the idea of banning alcohol within city limits. Everyone suddenly stopped talking and stared at him in shock.

"Don't worry; I love my booze as much as the next man. What's more important is that we need to start the er….uh…ceremony. Now where are my cards," Quimby said as he patted his pockets searching for any signs of what he wanted to say. He quickly found them and began to speak. "Welcome one and all to the new Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Memorial. I am very happy to dedicate this place to the many brave souls who did not survive the explosion. I know their families have grieved enough and they need to be shown that we all care for them in some way. But I will let the family members speak to us about this, so please give a nice warm welcome to my first speaker, Marge Simpson,"

As soon as Marge stood up, everyone clapped and cheered for her. She had done speeches before, but this one made her a bit nervous. She had practiced a few times and was brought to tears at the end. She hoped this would not happen to her. She then cleared her throat and began to speak.

"When Waylon Smithers approached me with this idea I did not hesitate to say yes. There was always something going wrong at that plant, and I knew that someday something would happen. But what had happened was something I never expected and it was one of the worst experiences in my life. Watching my husband die and my inability to do anything to save him made me both sad and angry. Sad because he would not live to grow old with me and to see our children graduate, get married and have children of their own."

Marge suddenly went silent; Lisa and Bart could tell that she was trying to keep herself from crying. Luckily Maggie fixed that.

"Do you need a finger to point to the spot you are reading?" Maggie called out.

The crowd let out a small laugh, Marge laughed herself before finally wiping a tear from her eye and continuing.

"I was angry too because it was Montgomery Burns who had changed our lives, he was giving us money for hospital bills but not because he wanted to but because he was forced to. He even acted like what had happened was not his fault and he showed no sympathy to any of us when we showed him how our lives had been shattered. I am glad we all did something about it. This new memorial is not only meant for those who died for doing what they did, but for also family members and friends who had to say goodbye too soon. It was not an easy thing to do, I will say that and we all need to remember these loved ones in a special way. Some of them were husbands, like mine, one was a wife, we lost brothers and friends, we all lost someone close to us. They were all important to us and even though they are gone, our love for them is still strong and that is something that will never die. Before we unveil the memorial I will let others say a few words. I will now let Jeremy Parker come to the stand."

Marge moved aside to let a young man named Jeremy come through. He had lost one of his best friends to the disaster and wanted to say a few words and once he was done he let another person come up to talk. In all there were six people who talked about what they thought about the new memorial including a young twelve year old who lost his father only a month after the disaster. He was so brave and even hugged Marge when he finished with his speech, mainly because Marge helped him come up with the right words. Once they all finished, Marge introduced Waylon Smithers who quickly made his way to the podium to deliver the final message.

Smithers did not hesitate when he reached the podium and quickly began to speak. "I knew that one day something terrible would happen at the plant, and when Montgomery Burns failed to do anything to the generator that exploded I knew that something would happen any day. For one thing I am glad it did not turn into a Chernobyl style disaster but I am saddened that the problem could have been prevented and that the one hundred and twenty-three who have passed on because of it would still be alive. Besides feeling that something else should have been done to fix the plant, I just wanted to tell everyone that I am very happy that I decided to quit working for Mr. Burns. He was insensitive, angry and most of all greedy. He did not care about anyone but himself, I am sorry I ever associated with him; I felt that this memorial would be a way to show that I do care. I hope you all are glad with the design we put up with the money he handed over to us."

Everyone watched as Smithers moved toward an area that was blocked off nearby. This was the memorial for those who lost their lives and only a handful had actually seen it. Now it was time for everyone to see what Mr. Burns' money was spent on.

Bart, Lisa, Rod and Todd both stood together staring back at what was to be unveiled with their mouths agape. They all knew they would be surprised no matter what they saw. Slowly Smithers and Mayor Quimby lifted up the curtain and once it was in full view of the public, everyone gasped in amazement before finally clapping.

There before them stood what looked like a square box and on top of it was large fountain in the shape of a red ribbon. The water fell from the very top of the ribbon and came down on both ends that then fell into a pool, and then flowed down the wall where the names of those who had passed on were listed. The water then fell into a small trough below.

"It's like a weeping wall!" Lisa said with her mouth agape.

"It's pretty!" Maggie said. Both Bart and Lisa knew that she wanted to go over and touch the wall of water.

"You want to find your Daddy Maggie?" Ned asked as he handed Maggie to Bart.

"We're going to the cemetery now? But I wanted to go on the swings!" Maggie said in annoyed voice.

"No sweetheart, we are going to find his name on the wall," Marge said as she made her way to her family.

"Oh, then can we go on the swings?" asked Maggie.

"Yes your brother and sister can take you, I still have to stay here for a while," said Marge.

As Marge and the kids made their way over, Ned quickly introduced Reba to Marge.

"Marge this is Reba, the lady I met at the church picnic two weeks ago," Ned said.

Marge stopped and looked Reba over; she was a pretty lady, had long hair and was of medium size. Marge then shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you," Marge said.

"And you too, I am really sorry about what happened to your husband, if I was you I would have never let him work for that place. Those places are so dangerous any way," Reba said quickly voicing her opinion.

"I know but it was the only job Homer could find when we married," Marge said.

I see, but didn't you ever worry about his safety?" asked Reba.

"Of course, I just didn't think such a thing would happen," said Marge.

"But it was a nuclear plant!" Reba said now sounding a bit annoyed with Marge saying these things.

"Yes it was, but many of them are safe and not controlled by someone like Mr. Burns," said Marge.

"Yet you still trusted him," Reba said in a way that sounded very sarcastic. Marge stared at her angrily and Ned quickly noticed this, he was about to intervene when he was saved by Maggie.

"Mommy! We found it!" she said happily.

Maggie quickly grabbed Marge's hand and led her toward the wall where Bart, Lisa, Rod, Todd, Lenny, Carl and Moe were standing admiring the lovely work.

"Nice job Marge!" Carl smiled when Marge appeared.

"Yeah, you planned this well, I'm glad he will be remembered this way," said Moe who wiped a tear out of his eye. For being such a tough guy, Moe could really be a sucker for sentimental things without even trying.

Homer's inscription was right there in the middle and underneath the name was an inscription with gold lettering that Marge had added personally:

Homer Simpson

Loving husband and father,

You will always be in our hearts.

Lisa stared at the lovely inscription and wiped a tear from her eye while Marge put her arm around her. They knew that Homer deserved to be remembered this way, everyone did. Lisa continued to stare at the lovely inscription until a tiny hand appeared and leaned against the wall. Lisa looked up to see Bart hanging onto Maggie while she touched the water that flowed down it.

"Oooh it's cold!" Maggie said excitedly.

Lisa only smiled while Bart tried to pull her away, touching it for a few moments was enough for right now, Maggie didn't need to splash everyone. Of course Maggie quickly retaliated and tried to push Bart forward.

"Why don't we take you back to the swings," Bart said as he started to back away.

"Swings!" Maggie said excitedly now forgetting that the water was even there.

"It's alright if we go back to the park now, right Mom?" Lisa asked making sure that they disappeared before Marge got upset about them leaving too soon.

"That's fine kids, I'll be here until it ends so you'll know where to find me," Marge said as she glared back at Reba who looked like she wanted to start a new conversation.

Bart and Lisa then lead Maggie through the crowd while Rod and Todd watched them go, the playground sounded like fun and they wondered if they had enough time to join the Simpson kids.

"We can go too right Dad?" asked Rod as he shook Ned's arm.

"Absolutely! If you need me I am here," Ned said without even looking down at them, he was watching Reba, she didn't seem to get the hint that she was acting like herself. Now he felt that he had to babysit his new girlfriend. Marge of course was trying to avoid her entirely by talking to Lenny and Carl and a few others who knew Homer personally.

Rod and Todd ran off, hoping that their father would sort out his new girlfriend. It was interesting seeing their father meet new people and they did wonder how long the relationship would last. Rod predicted a month, Todd was still thinking about that.

For now though, all they wanted to do was spend some time with the Simpson kids. It was the perfect day to do so.

* * *

Important A/N: Okay first off, I apologize for that ending, I had the worst time coming up with a good one and that was the best I could do. Second of all this was originally going to be the penultimate (as bdlywrttn called it) chapter: AKA second to last chapter. But this thing became so unexpectedly long that I felt that I needed to split it, especially since the second half was a little different than with what had gone on. I know how some people like to have chapters that are not too long, I know I do, my eyes get strained easily so I made it easy on you guys. This means I have two more chapters to go yet again and this time I hopefully mean it. Now due to the fact that I have split this into two chapters, the next chapter is finished but I will not put it up for a few days, I'm only doing that because I want to let you all catch up and read this one and not have to read two chapters at once. The next one will probably be up by Monday or Tuesday and then the final by next weekend I hope.

If this chapter was not as good as the others, I am sorry; it seemed like a good idea at the time, thought that one of them needed to have a quick date after three years but this will lead to something in the next chapter. Also I am a little moody right now so please don't complain when you review or I will give you such a pinch.


	21. We've Got Tonight

A/N: Some of you may recognize the title of this chapter. "We've got tonight" is a song by Bob Seager and I was listening to the lyrics while writing this and I realized that this song was perfect. Don't believe me, try to find it in your music library and listen while you read. If you do like to listen to songs while you read, I discovered a few good songs that would work well with this chapter and they are: The first half of "Say Goodbye" by Dave Matthews Band. Mainly just for the acoustics, you'll understand why. Also by the Dave Matthews Band "Lie in Our Graves" Both are in the Crash album. Another song by Bob Seager would be "You'll Acomp'ny Me" a lovely song. And finally two songs by Coldplay "Life in Technicolor" and "Viva La Vida" again mainly for the acoustics. So yeah if you have those songs try them out. If not create your own. Oh and if you ever reread chapter 9, the one where Marge and Ned go out on a date, listen to "Faithfully" by Journey while they are dancing. Sorry about the long ramble there, enjoy the chapter.

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The sun was now setting and the crowds were dying down as everyone began to return home where it was warm. Only a select few were still around, talking over different matters or waiting for their children to finish playing. Marge was not doing any of these; she was standing alone on the nearby bridge over the lake, watching the sun go down and remembering the good old days. She could not believe it had been three years since Homer's passing and another five since he had been at his healthiest. Time sure went by fast.

It had been such a lovely day, friends came out to congratulate her and wish her luck in the future. Everyone had been so kind to her and they all talked about the great times they had with her husband, if only he were here now. All day she wished to see him one more time, to kiss him and then snuggle with him, she missed that most of all. She let out a heavy sigh and tried to think about her kids and their future. Well hers too, especially now that she was in school learning to save lives. It was so strange, one moment she was working at the Leftorium and the next she suddenly decided that making more money to support the family was in order. It was a strange idea for her to suddenly become a nurse but now she felt it was the right path for her. Receiving money from Mr. Burns was the greatest thing in the world, but it would run out eventually and she did not want that to happen.

Tonight, as she tried to think about the future though, she couldn't, only the past and the wonderful twelve years of marriage to the man of her life. She then began to sob quietly feeling the tears fall down her face and then drop into the lonely lake below. Tonight would have been a wonderful night to be together.

"I thought you would be here," a voice called from the far end of the bridge.

Marge looked up to see Ned Flanders standing alone at the edge of the bridge, Reba was not with him and that was fine by her. She did have a short conversation with Reba before coming over here to be by herself. Reba liked to talk and she kept giving Marge ideas on what she and everyone else should have done with the memorial they set up. It annoyed Marge to no end and luckily Ned stepped in and pulled her aside to give her a talk.

"Ned! I thought you left with Reba hours ago," Marge said as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"Reba did, I didn't. I'm sorry you had to deal with her; I don't think you'll be seeing her again. Apparently she didn't like you and I told her that you and I were good friends and that I would never stop being your friend no matter what she said. For some reason she got all in a tizzy about it, we argued for a while until she finally gave up and left," Ned said as he made his way forward.

"I don't think I have ever been defended like that before, maybe once from Homer, but from other people? I don't think that has ever happened," Marge said with a surprised look on her face.

"I guess I've been around you too much, someone needs to make sure you and your kids are happy," Ned said with a small smile.

"And I am very glad you are, but why are you still here I know you have to open the Leftorium tomorrow?" Marge asked.

"I was going to leave but the kids were having so much fun, I bet they will be there all night if we let them," Ned said once he was face to face with Marge.

"Yeah I'm just waiting until it gets too dark to see, then we will go home," Marge said with a sigh.

"Are you alright?" Ned asked.

"I'm fine, it's just that today was so full of memories, so many wonderful memories and now I can't get them out of my head. I makes me feel so alone and I haven't felt this alone since…" Marge stopped herself; she was in no mood to cry in front of Ned Flanders tonight.

"…Since the funeral?" Ned finished.

"You might say that," Marge said as she leaned against the railing of the bridge and stared down at the water that reflected the color of the setting sun. The sky was a beautiful orange and pink along with a tinge of yellow. It was the perfect sunset to watch all your troubles fade away in.

"It's normal you know," Ned said as he joined Marge on the railing of the bridge.

"I know, and to cry for him as well," sighed Marge, even though she was a little sad, she was in no mood to listen to Ned's psychology sessions. He had given her enough over the past three years.

Ned said nothing but stood beside her, ready to talk if she needed any comforting. It was definitely a rough day, sharing memories with friends and trying to be happy all at once. He had done that many times when friends wanted to talk about Maude, even though he had been without her longer, he still shared Marge's pain.

"You know one of the best memories I had with Maude was when we went to that cider mill the first time. It was a beautiful fall day and we had lunch under a cherry tree, can you believe that the cider mill had a cherry tree on the grounds? Not an apple tree but a cherry tree! Of course the cherry's had long since ripened and the leaves were now colored but it was such a lovely afternoon. We had some of the most scrum-diddly-uptious sandwiches from the deli and we just lay under that cherry tree until we were kicked out by the manager. We were young then, only been married for six months, so of course we took our time leaving, drove the manager bonkers. We spent time there more than we could count, sometimes with the kids, sometimes together; it all depended on how we felt. I came back there a few months after Maude passed with the boys and it just wasn't the same, they both agreed with me on that."

"We had a place like that, only it wasn't a place you would expect," Marge said with a little embarrassment in her voice.

"Oh really?" asked Ned who seemed to want to get some juice out of Marge.

"Yeah, we stayed there for a few hours one night after seeing that second Star Wars movie, you know the one where Luke looses his hand, and just enjoyed each others company even if it was really cramped and Bart arrived into the world shortly after. But we continued to go there because to us, it was such a great place," said Marge.

"Might I ask where it was?" asked Ned.

"You wouldn't want to go back if I told you," Marge said a smile starting to form.

"Try me," Ned said with a sly smile.

"The castle at Sir Putts A Lot," Marge said this time trying her hardest not to giggle.

Ned stared back at Marge, at first he had the look of shock, not sure how to respond to the surprising place that Marge had told him. Marge was about to defend herself when Ned began to chuckle a little.

"So you were the two that left their clothes that one day when I took Maude and the boys out putting and we all thought a bear was hiding in there so we tried to gas you out and……" Ned suddenly stopped in mid sentence as he began to remember more of the incident "……Oh dear I think I touched your butt."

"No that was Homers," Marge said before bursting out laughing; now this was a good memory.

Both now stood against the railing of the bridge, laughing hard. As they did so, two couples walked by with their dog and smiled at the widow and the widower remembering something both embarrassing but entertaining.

"Now don't those two look happy together," the husband said.

"I love it when couples do that," the wife said silently as she grabbed her husband's hand. Luckily for Marge and Ned, they had not heard it but continued to laugh.

Finally, Ned calmed down and looked over at Marge who let out a heavy sigh while trying to catch her breath. Marge then looked up at Ned and let out a smile before laughing once more. Ned only turned away to keep himself from laughing, he looked toward the eastern side of the river and there before him was the moon coming up from the east.

"Oh Marge you need to see this!" Ned exclaimed breathlessly.

Marge looked up and turned to where Ned was looking. The moon was at its largest as it rose in a beautiful light red. Now this was a memorable night, perfect to be with the one you loved.

"It's like something out of those Disney movies Maggie makes me watch," Marge said softly.

"Too bad there is no music around, we could dance with the moon," Ned said.

"We don't have to, we can hum and dance. Lets pretend we are lovers tonight, just like Bart thought we were three years ago," Marge said.

"Alright but no hanky panky! Sir Putts A Lot will not be happy," Ned said as he tried not to laugh again.

"I wasn't even planning on that part, it has to be real love for that and I don't love you that way," Marge said.

"I was only testing you," Ned said.

"Nice test there God boy," Marge said as she wagged a finger at his face.

Ned only smiled as he took her hand and both slowed danced together on the lonely bridge, enjoying the cool night air and finally forgetting their problems. With the sky clear and full of stars, it was definitely a perfect night to do so.

Together they danced, not watching the time or worrying about anyone around them. They did not care; it was a night where they could be together for as long as they wanted. Finally, after almost twenty minutes, Marge felt tired and pulled herself up against Ned. Both looked into each others eyes before Marge gave Ned a quick peck on the cheek.

"Will this happen every time we dance?" asked Ned.

"Probably, only this time I wasn't thinking about Homer, just how nice a dancer you are," Marge said as she let go of Ned and leaned back against the bridge looking very satisfied.

On the other side of the bridge, five pairs of eyes hid behind a large bush and watched the scene unfold. They were all tired from playing all day and were looking forward to going home. But now that their parents were enjoying the night, they were in no hurry, they only watched.

"Ewww Mommy kissed him!" Maggie said with a grossed out face.

"What you don't like this?" Lisa asked as she moved forward and gave Maggie a smooch on the cheek. Maggie only pulled her away and wiped her face in annoyance.

"You know if I saw that three years ago, I would have tried to intervene but you know those two seem to need it," Bart said with a satisfied smile.

"Yeah, they look so happy," Rod said in a swooned voice.

"We'll all be like that someday," said Todd.

"Do we have to?" asked Maggie with a concerned face. She was still too young to understand love; she would have a few more years to go to want to know more.

"No but you will want to when you are older," Lisa said.

"I don't think I will, it looks too icky," said Maggie.

"Sure Maggie whatever you say," said Bart as he rolled his eyes. Little kids were so silly sometimes.

"Should we just walk home? They are enjoying themselves," asked Todd.

"Nah its getting dark, maybe if we show ourselves they will get the message," said Bart as he made his way out of the bushes toward the bridge.

Bart moved forward and stood at the end of the bridge watching Ned and Marge talk for a moment before finally letting out a cough to get their attention. Marge turned to Bart and let out a startled gasp.

"You saw that didn't you?" Marge asked her face filled with worry.

"Yup, but that's not why I am here," Bart said with a smile before letting out a yawn. Marge lowered her eyes and sighed, she was thankfully not in trouble for what she had just done.

"Time to go home I'm guessing," said Ned knowing full well what that yawn meant. They were either bored, or tired, or both.

"Yeah Maggie's getting a bit fussy, it's almost past her bedtime, and it is getting dark," said Bart.

Marge looked at her watch and gasped with surprise. "Oh my goodness, it really is, I hope you don't mind Ned?"

"Well I do have to open the Leftorium in the morning, so I think it's good to call it a night," said Ned who then let out a yawn after watching Bart do so. The dancing had made him a little tired as well.

"Thanks Ned, you gave me such a wonderful evening," Marge said as she gave him one more peck on the cheek. Ned only blushed. Then without another word, the two families made their way out of the park, toward their cars, where they would journey home and dream their favorite dreams.

* * *

A/N: Aww crap one more chapter to go and then I will be done. Oh well it's for the best. But before I finally shut up I would like to make a quick comment. I have received a few reviews where the reviewers said that the emotions were great and that they could see it almost in an episode but they would never kill off Homer. I just want to sound a little grumpy and say that I am very much aware that the producers, writers and animators of The Simpson's would most likely never do something like this especially to Homer. It was just an idea that came to me one day, I don't know why it did, it just did, so I started writing it, liked it, and kept going before finally deciding to share it with you all. Just letting you all know, please don't yell at me.

Also to Warriorsfreak, I wanted to respond to your last review, but you do not accept private messages. I know something must have happened but is there any way you can disable that, I really wanted to respond and tell you about my dog and "ahem" giraffe. Yeah I know that just sounds weird. And to everyone else, don't forget that I will be drawing some scenes so if you have any suggestions feel free to give them to me, I am open for anything.

Well please review when you get the chance, I will see you all soon for the final chapter.


	22. We'll Always Meet In Dreams

A/N: Well this is it, the final chapter to a story that I was not expecting to be so long, as you all remember from the first chapter that I said it would only be about fifteen chapters, but in the end as you can see, it reached twenty-two, longer than most of my other stories and it was thanks to the many that gave me ideas in their reviews. Truthfully I was not expecting to get so many reviews I thought I would only get about fifty, I was not expecting what I got in the end so I am very surprised by it and I want to thank you all for staying around and reading my story. I was not expecting everyone to cry the way they did and I was not expecting such helpful and kind reviewers, I haven't had those in years. So this final chapter is for everyone, Stardustmagic08, Warriorsfreak, Javagirl1992, Emma P, CalculatedChaos (he has a great Simpson fanfiction forum on here called Bob's Lair, check it out its fun), VelvetStarlight, Janefan13, Bdlywrttn (Bdlywrttn especially because she had to put up with me for the past six and a half months asking her questions while still trying to keep everything secret), and everyone else who reviewed thank you so much. I will send you all PMs to thank you personally after you review as well. And to those who reviewed anonymously if you want you can leave your email so I can thank you kindly as well. And of course to those who added this story to your alerts, I hope some of you do come out and say what you liked about it.

I know that some of you may be wondering if I will be writing more after this and the answer is yes. There will be a new story up, it will not be a sequel to this and Homer will not be dead. I do have the details up in my profile for you all to see what it will be about, it is one of the stories that I have listed but you might be surprised to find out which one. I do have bad news about the story though, it will not be up until sometime in October, I am taking a month long break to update two other stories, one is my Lion King story and the other is my original story over at Deviant Art, I haven't touched that one since the beginning of 2008, Blaze needs some attention. I am back at school as well so if it takes longer for me to put the story up you know why, I know I have quite a few papers to do already but hopefully they won't take up too much of my time. But please stick around; I really hope to keep in touch with you all again.

So without further ado, here is the final chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.

* * *

"……And Dad slammed the brakes as hard as he could and turned to me with a very stern and angry looking face, I cringed a little, not knowing what to expect because after all it was one of those rare moments where he liked to stop in the middle of traffic and do something out of the ordinary. But he did not get out of the car or move toward me, instead he said these words: 'Stupid risks are what make life worth living. Now your mother, she's the steady type and that's all fine in small doses, but me, I'm a risk taker. That's why I have so many adventures!'" Lisa exclaimed to Maggie in the best Homer voice she could muster.

It was well past Maggie's bedtime but after the events from today, she was still very excited and had asked Lisa on the way home what Daddy was like. Now that Maggie was six years old, she was starting to understand a little more about what happened to Homer. She questioned the idea of death after watching a movie where the parent died and Marge knew that it was time for her to understand what had happened. She took it rather well, but that was only because she was still young and it would still take a few years to comprehend correctly.

And even though it was past her bedtime that night, Lisa was more than thrilled to tell a quick story about her father, and decided to tell her about the adventure she had with him on the day the museum had finished showing its Egyptian exhibit. Maggie of course was filled with questions and her eyes lit up with suspense.

"So what did he do after that?" asked Maggie.

"Well…he thought that taking a stupid risk would be a lot more fun than going home. We actually snuck into the museum exhibit," Lisa said.

Maggie gasped. "When you were there, did the exhibits come to life?"

"Ha ha no, but that would have been pretty cool, but do you remember that weird sculpture we often see when we drive past the museum?" asked Lisa.

"Yeah what the heck is it any way?" asked Maggie as she tilted her head while trying to imagine it in her mind.

"I think it's some kind of science sculpture, I'm not sure what it really does though but it makes a great balance to get someone in," said Lisa.

"You climbed it?" asked Maggie.

"We did, and we soon found ourselves in the room surrounded by hundreds of Egyptian artifacts, thousands of years old yet still in great shape," Lisa said as she tried to make it sound suspenseful.

"So was the Orb of Oasis in there?" asked Maggie.

"Heh, it's the Orb of Isis Maggie and to this day no one knows what it does except for me and Dad," said Lisa.

"Just you actually," said Maggie.

"Yeah I guess you are right," said Lisa with a sigh and taking a quick pause.

"But don't stop now, tell me what it did!" Maggie said as she bounced on the bed while still sitting down.

"Okay you silly thing calm down, I am trying to get you to sleep after all," said Lisa.

"But it's not boring enough," said Maggie still bouncing away while Lisa put her hand on her sisters shoulder to stop her. Maggie just kept going.

"Well hopefully the excitement will make you tired once I am done. Now remember how I told you Dad was sometimes clumsy?" asked Lisa.

"Yeah, was it because he had a big butt? I looked at those old pictures and he has a really big butt," said Maggie as she held her arms up to show how big Homer might have been.

"Maggie! That's not a very nice thing to say and it was definitely not because of that," said Lisa with a look of disappointment on her face. She really did not want Maggie to see her father that way.

"Then why was he so clumsy?" Asked Maggie.

"Well……" Lisa began to sift through her mind to find the best explanation for a six year old. "I guess you could say that he was a little too fast for his steps."

"Oh like when I trip?" Asked Maggie with a silly grin, Maggie was still known to trip on her own two feet now and again.

"You could say that, now let me continue. Dad decided to get a closer look at the Orb of Isis but you couldn't go near it because it was blocked off by a velvet rope. Dad simply ignored it and tried to climb over it but tripped, and all the metal poles fell down in the room like dominoes and one hit the pedestal that held the Orb. And I could only watch as the Orb fell to the ground," Lisa continued her voice sounding so serious.

"Oh no, you broke it!" Maggie exclaimed as she held her hands up to her mouth with worry.

"That's what I thought, but you see right when Dad and I moved toward it, the orb……"

"Lisa! Are you done keeping Maggie awake?" Marge called as she peeked in the doorway, her hair covered in hair curls. Her sudden appearance made both Lisa and Maggie jump.

"Just about done Mom, I promise," said Lisa with a sigh after realizing it was only Marge.

"Yeah she is getting to the best part," Maggie said as she bounced on the bed again.

"Okay, just remember that this is the last story, you both have school in the morning," said Marge there was a smile on her face but Lisa could tell that her mother was in no mood for late nights and early mornings with grumpy kids. Lisa knew she needed to finish this story quickly and began again.

"So we moved forward to see what kind of damage we had done to the precious artifact. It looked cracked in hundreds of places and we knew we were in so much trouble, until the orb opened to reveal that it wasn't broken but that it had figures in it playing Egyptian music. It was a music box!" Lisa exclaimed happily while Maggie's eyes lit up once Lisa revealed what it was.

"A music box! I never would have guessed that either," Maggie said.

"Me either and it was such a lovely tune, Dad and I listened to it for a while enjoying its soft melody before deciding to close it back up to let the scientists solve the mystery of what it was on their own," said Lisa.

"How did you get out of there?" asked Maggie.

"Oh it wasn't easy, one of us tripped the burglar alarm, so we ended up hiding in the history of man exhibit for a few hours," said Lisa.

"No one saw you and took you to jail?" asked Maggie worriedly.

"Nope, we were well hidden, we went out through one of the bathroom windows and came home a little after bedtime," said Lisa.

"What did Mommy say about that?" asked Maggie as she peaked out the door to see if Marge was listening in to make sure that Lisa was wrapping everything up. There was no sign of her.

"Oh Dad used a clever excuse and told Mom we were out getting ice cream, but then let it slip out that we were sneaking around a bit in the museum, boy did we get a lecture," said Lisa.

"Oopsie," Maggie said quietly.

"But Dad was glad he brought me on a short adventure, I liked our time together because I knew that sooner or later I would be older and having fun with real friends," said Lisa thoughtfully.

"I wish Daddy was still here, I bet he would have taken me on adventures like he did with you and Barty," Maggie said with a thoughtful voice.

"I know he would have, he loved us all and especially you," said Lisa who then poked Maggie in the nose. Maggie made a giggle and tried to hide herself under the sheets. "Oh I see someone is ready for bed!"

"No I'm…" Maggie was about to retaliate but instead let out a large yawn. "…not."

"But you need to be well rested to learn tomorrow, you don't want Mom getting mad at you for staying up late," Lisa said as she began to tuck Maggie in a little more. Maggie quickly decided not to retaliate and let her big sister tuck her in, she really was sleepy, but she was still excited about her fun day.

"Lisa?" Maggie called once Lisa was almost out the door and about to turn out the lights.

"Yes Maggie?"

"You know how you sometimes have dreams with Mommy and Barty in them?"

"I do,"

"Do you ever dream about Daddy?"

Lisa leaned against the door and thought about her question for a moment, it had been so long and it made her wonder why Maggie would ask such a question. "…I have," she replied. "But it's been a very long time, why do you ask?"

"I just wanted to know if I will ever see him in my dreams," said Maggie as she played with her sheets.

Lisa stared at her sister, it was a very thoughtful idea and it did make her wonder, especially since she had only known him for such a short time. "Perhaps you will someday."

"Oh, I hope it does happen, I want to ask him some questions," said Maggie.

"And I bet he will be glad to answer them," said Lisa with a small smile.

Maggie's eyes instantly lit up. "Goodnight then Lisa, I'm gonna go search for Daddy now!" she said as she quickly buried herself into her covers and closed her eyes.

Lisa smiled at her sister's hopeful little mind and then let out a heavy sigh. She was tired now, it had been a long day and she was ready to get some sleep before school in the morning. She passed Bart's room and found him still on his computer talking to friends; he would be up for a while now.

"Goodnight Bart," Lisa said softly.

"Night Lis, I like your stories, those memories are great," Bart said not even taking his eyes off the computer.

"Thanks, you are welcome to come and join me the next time," said Lisa.

"I'll try to remember that," Bart said.

Lisa said nothing more but made her way to her room. She thought about saying goodnight to her mother but decided to leave her alone; it was hard to tell if the light was still on in her room any way. Lisa let out another yawn and entered her room before quietly closing her door. Lisa made her way to her bed and lay down in the soft sheets. They were so inviting tonight after a long day of memories and fun. For a moment she lay on her back and stared up at the ceiling reminiscing about her day with Rod and Todd and wondering if she would have days with them like that again. She hoped it would happen again, Bart seemed friendly enough toward them and that their friendship would blossom someday. Finally Lisa turned off the lamp on her nightstand and closed her eyes.

* * *

Lisa didn't know how long it took her to fall into a deep sleep and enter her world of dreams. What she did know though was that she was in a place she had been to before, it had been almost two and a half years but she knew where she was. The grass was just as green as she remembered, the flowers just as vibrant, and the sky as cloudless as ever. She gazed at the beautiful sight for just a moment before running as fast as she could up the hill toward the creek where she had last seen him the two times before. As she ran, the butterflies flew out from under her feet where they flew out to a safer place, while the birds of the air followed her for a short while.

As soon as she reached the top of the hill, she stopped and looked down at the stream. Her smile quickly turned into a frown though when she noticed that he was nowhere in sight, only the sound of the trickling stream and a few birds could be heard. Lisa sighed sadly before slowly made her way down to the stream where she sat down by the cool waters edge, watching the fish swim by.

She remembered her first encounter with him after Bart had fought with their mother and it was such a magical feeling, it was so hard to let go that time. Her second time happened two and a half years ago, she didn't have a bad day that day and she wasn't feeling sad. He just came to her in a dream and both spent as long as they could together remembering the good old days. Lisa knew she was not the only one who saw him; Bart even mentioned a time when he was able to talk with him again while watching the sun rise and fall in this dream world.

Lisa continued to watch the fish swim by in the creek, if he was not here, then why was she? It seemed so unlike him to bring her here and not show up. These thoughts kept brimming in her mind for many minutes, sometimes she would look around to see any signs of him, but there was nothing.

Finally, Lisa was about to give up and find her way back to her world when she heard a sound of footsteps in the grass behind her. Lisa perked up and turned around, there before her stood her father. A small smile on his face while he waited to embrace his daughter.

Lisa leapt up and ran to give him the biggest hug she could muster. Homer returned her embrace, not letting go until she was ready to.

"I was worried you would not come," Lisa said as she pushed herself off him.

"Yeah I guess you fell asleep a little too fast, it took a little longer than I thought, tonight was a good night for Maggie to finally come to this place in her dreams," said Homer.

"She had a lot of questions didn't she?" asked Lisa.

"But I answered every one, she has grown up so fast," said Homer as he held Lisa's hand.

"Yeah, she is an amazing little sister," said Lisa.

"A perfect little angel, just like you," said Homer as he tousled his daughter's hair

Lisa giggled and swatted at him before staring up at her father, their eyes locked together in the happiness they shared in seeing each other again. She wished more of these dreams would come, and wished even more that they were not dreams and that he was still alive and well. But then again these rare moments were special and special times needed to be treasured. To even see her father again in dreams was something of a blessing and brought back many memories of her younger days with her father.

"Are you ready to head on over to the lake and lay under the willow?" asked Lisa once she was out of her trance.

"I thought you would never ask," said Homer.

Together, father and daughter held each others hands as they made their way up the green hillside, toward the willow tree where they would share their best memories together, beneath the bluest of skies.

**The End**


End file.
